News Rare Co-Founder Has No Idea Why Nintendo Didn't Buy The Studio Outright
"I thought we were a good fit"
Rumour Fresh Sources Suggest Shovel Knight Is Indeed Digging His Way To Super Smash Bros.
With an amiibo figure in tow, naturally
Serial code giveaway for Australia & New Zealand, UK details also inside
Exclusive MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS
Update: Anonymous developer tried to leak the game three months ago
News - August, 2015
Monday31st Aug 2015
News The Smaller New Nintendo 3DS Model is Coming to North America
Rejoice!
Nintendo of America has confirmed the news that some 3DS fans in the region have been waiting for - the smaller New Nintendo 3DS model is coming to North America. Initially it'll just be released as part of a special Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer bundle; this'll include a white system, the game, two cover plates and an amiibo card...
Nintendo Download 3rd September (Europe)
Runbow! Gunman Clive HD! StarTropics 1 & 2! Sin & Punishment! More!
Another week begins with Nintendo Download Update details for Europe; due to a public holiday in the UK this information came through later than normal (hat tip to Daan Koopman who forwarded the Dutch information to us). This week is particularly good on the Wii U, it must be said,...
News Splatoon Version 2.1.0 Update to Fix Some Bugs, and Cut Off Some Handy Shortcuts
No more cheeky squid moves
Splatoon wrapped up another Splatfest this past weekend, and continues to evolve and add new content on a weekly basis. The development team remains active in tweaking the game and applying fixes, too, and update 2.1.0 will arrive soon - at 598MB in Japan - to do just that. The update is due to be preceded by some...
News Pokémon Shuffle Rolls Out on iOS in North America and Europe
And so it's come to pass
The Pokémon Company has a steady history of iOS and Android releases, but it's not common for titles to be published by Nintendo on the 3DS eShop and to then rock up on smart devices. Pokémon Shuffle has always had the potential to change that, arriving on the 3DS eShop as a free-to-play title with plenty of optional...
Mario History Super Smash Bros. Melee - 2001
A new generation
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It wasn't so long ago that we were writing about the original Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo 64, a 1999 release that achieved success on the Nintendo 64 and...
Mario History Super Mario Sunshine - 2002
Trippin' on sunshine
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game per day, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It was a bold move from Nintendo to launch the GameCube in 2001 without a Mario game. The tables were turned so that Mario's link to the launch was through...
Feature Handheld LCD Gaming Past And Present
For those times when an original Game Boy just isn’t retro-chic enough
Nintendo first hit the LCD game scene all the way back in 1980 with Ball, a simple but thoroughly playable affair at the time that may be familiar to fans of the Game Boy Camera or those brave souls who ventured onto the DSi shop. From these humble beginnings Nintendo's LCD...
News VS. Excitebike Launches Into Some Races Very Soon In North America
A Monday treat
At the start of last week Nintendo of America announced that VS. Excitebike was on the way to the Virtual Console. It was clarified that this would be the Famicom Disk version that was previously only released in Japan - in addition to extra tracks and music it has a track editor feature. The release date wasn't announced, as NoA...
Tuesday1st Sep 2015
News See How Plague Knight's Moveset Was Concocted
Yacht Club Games gives a crash course in character mobility
When a character controls well, its motion might seem purely natural and intuitive. What we don't often see from the playing side of the experience, however, is all the work and tweaking developers likely did to make it feel that way. With the free Plague of Shadows campaign coming soon to...
Monday31st Aug 2015
News Sin & Punishment Confirmed to be Blasting it Up on Wii U This Week in Europe
An absolute Treasure
Around about this time on a Monday we'd normally be posting the European Nintendo Download Update, but unfortunately for us it's a public Holiday that the big N seems to be observing. It's a bitter pill to swallow, we know, but we'll all just need to wait an extra 24 hours. We do know two games that are coming to Wii U in...
Interview Engine Software and Orangepixel on Bringing Gunslugs 2's Chaos to 3DS
"There's a lot of room for these "oldschool" arcade games on the eShop"
It can seem like the Wii U eShop gets the most attention in the 'Nindie' stakes, which is certainly the case. Nevertheless, there are still some highly promising downloads on the way to the 3DS, with plenty of life in the portable yet. One such example is Gunslugs 2, originally...
News Runbow Dashes Across To Europe Later This Week
Get ready!
Following the North American release of Runbow last week, 13AM Games has announced the Wii U eShop title will arrive in Europe on 3rd September. The news, as promised, was delivered via the Toronto-based studio’s Twitter page: Users who participated in the Nindies@Home promotion will also receive a 15 percent discount on t
Sunday30th Aug 2015
Review The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (New 3DS)
Born again
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is humorously disturbing, potentially offensive and unapologetically gross. This is a game about a boy named Isaac who's scrambling through the depths of his basement to avoid his pursuing mother. But instead of delivering a spanking or a timeout like most mothers do, Isaac's mom is intent to sacrifice her...
Video Here's What Rare's Final GameCube Title Should Have Looked Like
Very early prototype for Kameo unearthed
As we all know, Rare was once a second-party Nintendo studio but was purchased by Microsoft over a decade ago. When the acquisition took place, the UK company was working on several GameCube projects, including Donkey Kong Racing and Kameo, the latter of which would eventually appear as a launch title for the...
Talking Point Nintendo Continues to Shift Its Third-Party Focus to Nindies
Necessity, forward thinking or both?
The Wii U and 3DS have been part of a truly first-party generation for Nintendo. As the leading dedicated gaming handheld - by a mile - the 3DS has had some decent support and occasional major third-party exclusives, yet for the Wii U it's been a different affair. Its sales struggles have seen most publishers...
Video Catch Up With Nintendo's PAX Xenoblade Chronicles X Panel and Nindies Presentation
An extra look
PAX Prime is now in its last day, with announcements out of the way and booths setting up for the final group of attendees. Nintendo's been particularly active this year, using the US event to make some notable announcements and to show off attractive releases. It's now released video of its main events for everyone to enjoy. First up...
News Gorgeous Xenoblade Chronicles X Special Edition Confirmed for North America
Will cost $89.99
There's plenty of excitement around the 4th December arrival of Xenoblade Chronicles X, though fans in North America have been wondering if they'd get the same treatment as European gamers. EU Wii U owners, for example, have a handsome special edition on the way, and the onus has been on Nintendo of America to offer something...
Saturday29th Aug 2015
News Netflix Update Goes Live on Wii U
Now you can hide your streaming shame in profiles
The Wii U doesn't have the same range of apps as its competitors, but it has been able to boast of Netflix since day one. The app itself did its best to put the GamePad to use, but was never as slick or feature-rich as it could have been. A fresh update has now gone live to improve matters, with a...
Review Brave Tank Hero (3DS eShop)
As Salvatore from Wind Waker would say… "Splish!"
In Conker's Bad Fur Day, there is a chapter towards the end of the game called War. In that chapter there is one small section in which the protagonist squirrel has to get inside a tank and storm the Tediz's base. Brave Tank Hero is somewhat similar to that section of Conker's BFD, in the sense...
Mario Memories Basking in the Glow of Super Mario Sunshine
"It introduced me to a passion I still hold to this very day"
In this series articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have Pokémon expert Andrew Karklins. When I was younger, my first home...
News The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth New 3DS Patch is Now Live
Finally made it out of the basement
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the first 3DS eShop title exclusive to the New model, utilising its extra oomph to deliver a portable version of the title that's graced a host of platforms, including the Wii U. A remastering handled by Nicalis, it had a long route to Nintendo hardware. This portable iteration...
Poll The Battle of the Nindies and Questions on amiibo
Are Nindie amiibo on your wishlist?
PAX Prime is now right in its peak, with the Seattle event attracting thousands of attendees eager to soak in all there is to offer. Nintendo's been particularly active, too, not only running a booth with plenty of contests and retail games, but also a neat Nindies Lounge with a range of exciting download games...
Nintendo Life Weekly Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo, Star Fox Zero Release Date
A basket of roses
Have you caught up on the sheer volume of news that's happened over the past week? We know it can be tough to keep track so we've compiled all the reviews, releases, and biggest news of the past seven days for you in video format! This week we focus on the incredible Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo, Star Fox Zero's release date, and much...
Video Ink Yourself Over Splatoon's Two New Weapons, the Bamboozler 14 Mk I & L-3 Nozzlenose D
Nozzle up your nose
Splatoon's ever expanding list of weaponry has just grown even bigger with the addition of two brand new weapons: The Bamboozler 14 Mk I and the modified L-3 Nozzlenose D. The new Bamboozler 14 Mk I comes equipped with a Splash Wall and a Killer Wail/Megaphone Laser, and whilst it's quick to charge and has decent range the...
Friday28th Aug 2015
Review SENRAN KAGURA 2: Deep Crimson (3DS)
Mediocre button mashing
Using sex appeal to sell games is nothing new in the industry, even to the point where the games can become questionable in their intention; SENRAN KAGURA 2: Deep Crimson falls into this category. Its predecessor was a solid enough fighting game with themes that, shall we say, appeal to a particular demographic. Can the...
News Shovel Knight amiibo Confirms "Evolving" Relationship With Indies, Says Nintendo
Unlocks content in current - and future - Shovel Knight games
Just in case you still aren't convinced that the Shovel Knight amiibo is a thing, Nintendo of America confirmed its existence alongside a raft of other announcements during a pre-PAX presentation at its Nindies@Night event at EMP Museum in Seattle. Scanning the amiibo on Wii U version of...
News Bandai Namco's Project Treasure Is Now Called Lost Reavers, Beta Test Incoming
Gameplay revealed via new trailer
Bandai Namco has revealed today that its free-to-play Wii U eShop title Project Treasure has a new name: Lost Reavers. As if a name change wasn't enough, the publisher has also stated that the Japanese version of the game will enter a phase of public beta testing in the next few days. The game's Japanese site has...
News Kerbal Space Program On Wii U Is The “Definitive Version” According To Nintendo
Will launch early next year
Following the official reveal of Kerbal Space Program for Wii U eShop at the Nindies@Night event, Nintendo of America’s very own Damon Baker, Senior Marketing Manager of Publisher and Developer Relations, has spoken about the Wii U iteration being the ultimate version of the title across all platforms: We feel we have...
News European Club Nintendo Has a Lovely Last Hurrah With the Nintendo Sound Selection Double CD
The end is nigh
Club Nintendo ends in PAL regions on 30th September, and Nintendo of Europe has been adding various goodies to its catalogue in the EU and Australia in the run up to its closure. It's now added what appears to be the final hurrah for the service, and it's rather attractive. It's a double CD of "credit rolls and ending themes",...
Video Nintendo's European Super Mario Maker Commercial Heads to the City
Similar to the NA approach
Super Mario Maker is one of - possibly the - biggest Wii U retail release of the year, and with its arrival getting ever closer Nintendo is stepping up its marketing efforts. We recently shared a North American TV commercial that utilises young actors admiring a level being created over a vast rea-world area; in Europe the...
News Shovel Knight amiibo Pre-Orders Open in the UK and Australia
Still waiting for North American listings
Following reports from sources and some social media mess-ups, Nintendo and Yacht Club Games revealed the Shovel Knight amiibo at a Nindies event in Seattle. It's an interesting arrival on multiple levels - it'll be the first 'Nindie' amii
News Cypronia Outlines Details For Extensive Cube Life: Island Survival Version 1.1 Update
New multiplayer modes, items, fixes and more
While we now know that Minecraft: Story Mode will bring a relatively linear take on the series to Wii U later this year, download-only Indie efforts inspired that that franchise continue to seek attention and to improve their efforts across Wii U and 3DS. One of the more notable arrivals on the home...
We're not pulling your leg, honest
Remember the Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs video game that was in the works a while back? Based on the '80s anime TV series known as Sei Jūshi Bisumaruku in its native Japan, the title began development at German studio Firehazard in 2010. The aim was to release the game on iOS and 3DS the following year, but...
News Gunman Clive HD Collection Will Shoot Its Way to North America, Europe and Australia Next Week
We're all winners
Due to the vagaries of localisation it's not always possible for download games to be released simultaneously, though that's something that Bertil Hörberg's successfully done with his next release. Gunman Clive HD Collection combines both of the excellent 3DS games in one Wii U package, and it's landing in North America, Europe...
News Hive Jump Is Bringing Multiplayer Run 'n' Gun Blasting To Wii U, As Well As amiibo Support
Coming early 2016
Graphite Lab and Black Lantern Studios showed off the Wii U version of Hive Jump at the recent Nindies@Night event in Seattle, as well as confirming that the game will boast amiibo support when it launches next year. Kickstarted to the tune of $58,675, this four-player run 'n' gun blaster involves taking down hordes of aliens...
News Check Out Upcoming eShop Treats in the Latest Nindie Sizzle Reel and Batch of Trailers
Lots to look forward to
Nintendo kicked off PAX with a bang this year, with its Nindies@Night event in Seattle causing plenty of buzz. On the one hand it confirmed leaks and rumours such as the Shovel Knight amiibo and Kerbal Space Program on Wii U. Some new game details were announced on stage, too, including
Review ZaciSa: Defense of the Crayon Dimensions! (Wii U eShop)
In space, no-one can hear you strategically position laser cannons
Over 12 months after releasing in NA, developer ZeNfA Productions has re-named, re-tooled and rocket-boosted its tower defense title onto the European eShop. It's been a long flight - with an even longer list of promised improvements to go with it - but has it been enough to breathe...
Mario History Mario Tennis - 2000
Two match points
In this series of articles we'll write about one or more Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Our original plan for our 2000 entry in this series was to write about Paper Mario, yet just recently we shared an editorial to celebrate its 15th...
Weirdness Grand Theft Auto And Pokémon Collide In This Rather Worrying Mash-Up
Gotta snatch 'em all
Pokémon and Grand Theft Auto V might not have much in common in terms of gameplay, but that hasn't stopped a dedicated fan from painstakingly recreating the intro of the former using the excellent Director Mode of the latter. You can watch the entire thing below, and we've included the side-by-side comparison so you can see...
News SteamWorld Heist Q & A Confirms New Game+, a Typical Playtime and a Silly Number of Hats
"You won't be able to finish in less than 10 hours"
SteamWorld Heist is due in Fall, which means it's not particularly far away. Coming to 3DS first it's the follow-up - not sequel! - to the hugely popular SteamWorld Dig and, as a result, is likely to be one of the portable's biggest download releases this year. As release approaches developer...
News 13AM Games Reveals More Content Is Coming To Runbow
Sequel and 3DS development also discussed
Runbow has just launched on the Wii U eShop in North America and already 13AM Games are looking towards the future. In a Reddit AMA earlier today, Producer Dave Protor explained more game content would be delivered to Runbow in the form of character costumes and level updates, and promised ongoing support...
Thursday27th Aug 2015
News GAME Confirms Shovel Knight amiibo
Unlocks content in the Wii U and 3DS versions
Earlier this week we shared updated rumours and details from sources suggesting that Shovel Knight may be on the way to Super Smash Bros., to be accompanied by a special amiibo. While it's still not confirmed whether the character will come to the brawler, the amiibo has now been outed. The...
Nintendo Download 27th August (North America)
Sin & Punishment (twice), Runbow, FullBlast, Gotcha Racing and more
It's that time again, North American gamers, for the latest Nintendo Download Update. This week brings a Treasure double header on Wii U which is tough to resist, along with one of the Wii U eShop's most-anticipated exclusive releases from 13AM Games. Disney Infinity 3.0 is also...
Feature A Pokémon Retrospective: Generation 1 - 1996 To 1999
The start of something beautiful
As we build up to the 20th anniversary of Pokémon in February 2016 and look hotly ahead towards brand new things such as the green blob Pokémon, we're going to take you back on a monthly journey through each of the generations of Pokémon, starting with the first Generation. The build-up to launch: It all began...
News Kerbal Space Program Is Landing On The Wii U eShop
We have lift off!
Update: Nintendo has now set the Kerbal Space Program trailer to private. Original: Out of the blue, the popular computer game, Kerbal Space Program, has been confirmed for the Wii U. The news comes via what appears to be an early leak on Nintendo's YouTube Channel, with the game expected to be officially revealed at the...
Rumour XSEED Less Than Happy With Nintendo's About-Face On Publishing Devil's Third
The devil is in the detail
Devil's Third has endured a tortured route to retail, losing its original publisher THQ to bankruptcy and being picked up by Nintendo after years of development, but one of the most unusual twists was that it very nearly got dropped by Nintendo of America only to be picked up again when the company performed a...
News Two New Weapons Are Heading to Splatoon This Week
Don't forget it's Splatfest weekend, too
The next Splatoon Splatfest kicks off this weekend, which will be an awesome Transformers event in North America and a little more generic in Europe. There'll also be a couple of new w
News Nintendo of America Provides an Update on Three amiibo Getting Restocks This Week
Well, 5 amiibo counting the Splatoon triple pack
In late June we complained something fierce about amiibo stock levels, frustrated to see many more figures and cards announced at E3 with little indication of existing problems being resolved. Polls we ran also suggested that a number within our community were also miffed at the situation. Since...
News Double Dose Of Sin & Punishment Arrives On North American Wii U Virtual Console Tomorrow
Get ready for an intense, adrenaline-pumped thrill ride
If you happen to live in North America and are yet to experience Treasure’s brilliant Nintendo 64 title, Sin & Punishment, along with its sequel, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, on the Wii, then you’re in for a treat as of tomorrow – with both games releasing on the Wii U’s...
Mario History Super Smash Bros. - 1999
The start of a long fight
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our final entry for Mario in the 20th Century we reach the beginnings of one of Nintendo's most vital franchises. While not strictly a 'Mario'...
Review Pixel Slime U (Wii U eShop)
Pixel imperfect
RCMADIAX's latest eShop title, Pixel Slime U, attempts to create a simple, addictive experience by distilling gameplay down to one button and playing around with level design. The good news is that its one-button gameplay is reasonable and can be quite fun at times. The bad news is that, like many of the indie developer's games,...
News PixlCross is Bringing Picross and Puzzle Creation to the Wii U
Count on it
The Picross e series has been rather popular on 3DS, or at least we assume that's the case as there have been six entries so far. Basic logic puzzle solving rewarded with a pretty picture is a golden idea, clearly, and this particular style is now coming to Wii U. PixlBit Studios has confirmed that its title, PixlCross, is now in...
News Year Walk on Wii U Will Tell Its Tale on 17th September
Simultaneous in North America, Europe and Australia
Year Walk is a particularly promising upcoming release on the Wii U. It's an intriguing narrative-driven title with elements of puzzle-solving, horror and surrealism, and is based on a forgotten Swedish tradition. Having been a success on PC and iOS, particularly, it's now close to its arrival on...
Friday28th Aug 2015
News Treasurenauts Development is Getting Back on Track
Mutant Mudds Super Challenge and Dementium Remastered almost done
Renegade Kid has had a relatively quiet 2015 to date, but the well-known 'Nindie' appears to be getting closer to pushing ahead with some major releases for the year. Not that the company hasn't been busy, having recently released Xeodrifter on Wii U and on PSN. For Nintendo download...
Thursday27th Aug 2015
News Nintendo UK Running Another Super Mario Maker Twitch Stream Today
Tune in
Nintendo UK has already held a Twitch stream devoted to the forthcoming Wii U title Super Mario Maker, and it has announced today that a second live-stream will be happening. As you might assume, it's due to take place on the company's Twitch channel at 5PM UK time, and will give you the chance to see some new user-created courses in...
Wednesday26th Aug 2015
Rumour Fresh Sources Suggest Shovel Knight Is Indeed Digging His Way To Super Smash Bros.
With an amiibo figure in tow, naturally
Rumours regarding Shovel Knight's inclusion in the Super Smash Bros. roster have been doing the rounds for quite some time, but we've managed to unearth some fresh evidence which suggests that Yacht Club Games' famous character is indeed about to take a bow in Nintendo's famous fighter. We've been in touch...
What devilry is this?
Devil's Third has had a protracted and curious road to the Wii U, with notable gaps between regional releases and the peculiarity of an upcoming free-to-play online version for PC. With its arrival in Japan and Europe we get to see whether it's seductive and alluring or, alternatively, a devilish disappointment. With much...
Colourtastic! Colourrific! Colourawesome!
In the words of the late Satoru Iwata - "Above all, video games are meant to just be one thing: Fun for everyone". Runbow embraces this philosophy and runs away with it. The result is a game that is simple in concept and execution, yet it radiates personality from every shade of its palette. In short, Runbow...
News Minecraft: Story Mode is Heading to Wii U
At last... sort of
Minecraft has become a cultural phenomenon, starting on PC before going on to achieve incredible sales success on consoles; long after release console versions remain as ever-presents in the charts. The disappointment for Nintendo fans is that they've missed out; that's now about to change... sort of. Minecraft: Story Mode is an...
News Flowers Will Apparently Factor In The Future Of The Pokémon Series
Cryptic conundrums
Flowers are great. Not only do they make our gardens look presentable, they're perfect for smoothing over stormy relationships with loved ones. In fact, they're so versatile they may be integral to the future of the Pokémon series, according to The Pokémon Company International's Director of Consumer Marketing J.C. Smith...
News Nintendo UK Sends Out Free Photos With Animal Crossing Download Codes
You have mail
Nintendo UK is in the middle of a national tour around shopping malls, promoting current and upcoming releases on Wii U and 3DS. One promotion it's been running at events has been to give out free codes for Photos with Animal Crossing, an AR app for the 3DS that allows you to snap pics with some of your favourite animals. It's the...
Mario History Mario Party - 1998
Let's get it started
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We'll admit it, we're cheating a little with this entry. All entries in this series of articles have - until now - taken their release dates from the...
Video Japanese TV Commercials For Super Mario Maker Take The Reserved Approach
Low on CGI, high on charm
The launch of Super Mario Maker is just around the corner, and Nintendo is giving the game one final push in Japan with a raft of new TV commercials. Compared to the CGI-heavy nature of the US ads, these are a little more reserved and showcase one man and his quest to create the most entertaining Super Mario level...
Provided the title is a success
After a strong showing at Nintendo’s Treehouse E3 event this year, Shin'en Multimedia's FAST Racing NEO is now one of the most highly anticipated upcoming releases for the Wii U eShop. With the development cycle of the futuristic racer under control, Shin’en’s Martin Sauter recently discussed the company’s...
News Super Robot Wars BX Battles Its Way to Number One in Japan
Animal Crossing and Yo-kai Watch still going strong
It's Media Create Japanese chart results time again, with this week bringing more good news for the 3DS; the portable's been rather greedy in its success in recent times. Super Robot Wars BX makes its début on 3DS in top spot, which looks noisy and fun based on the footage at the end of this...
Video Check Out These Delightful Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Japanese Trailers
Dungeon crawl with your pocket monsters
The upcoming release of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon promises to take the now long-running series to new heights with a more extensive game experience than ever before – with enhancements such as randomly generated dungeons that change each time a player enters, and the chance to battle alongside both...
News Next Wave Of Super Smash Bros. amiibo Now Available For Pre-Order In The UK
Also, order 8 selected amiibo and get a free carry case
Get your credit cards ready - Nintendo's online UK store has opened up pre-orders for the next wave of Super Smash Bros. amiibo. Here are the figures now available for order: Mii Sword Fighter No.49 amiibo Mii Gunner No.50 amiibo
News Super-Hard Platformer Volgarr The Viking Set To Pillage Wii U And 3DS eShops
Faux-retro classic blazing a trail to Nintendo consoles
Indie hit Volgarr the Viking is coming to the Wii U and 3DS, it has been confirmed. A love letter to the tough-as-old-boots 2D action platformers of the '80s and '90s, Volgarr takes a large helping of inspiration from the likes of Rastan and Ghouls 'n Ghosts. Initially arriving on PC, it hit...
Review Mortar Melon (Wii U eShop)
Smashing melons isn't nearly as fun as Smashing Pumpkins
The first time a watermelon smashed into a log-cutting industrial saw's menacing jagged edges, there were melon bits everywhere. For the next two hours or so, that carnage only got worse. Red melon juices like blood stuck to its blades, with wasted delicious looking melon slices flying in all...
Thursday27th Aug 2015
Review G.G Series VECTOR (DSiWare)
Low magnitude
The last title in the G.G Series has come to pass at last, and it concludes the series in a rather anticlimactic and slightly disappointing manner. G.G Series VECTOR attempts to yet again take a crack at the falling block puzzler and it does so with mixed results. While there's an interesting original idea that's executed in a...
Wednesday26th Aug 2015
Review G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN (DSiWare)
Off the chain
The next title in the G.G series takes us back to the puzzler genre with yet another take on the tried and true block puzzler. Amazingly enough, this is pulled off with a surprising amount of success and is as enjoyable as it is original. If there's any complaint to be levelled against G.G Series ENERGY CHAIN, it's that the overall...
News Hyper Light Drifter Wii U eShop Release Drifts Into 2016
PC and Mac first, consoles soon after
Heart Machine's gorgeous-looking Hyper Light Drifter was one of those games we were all looking forward to playing in 2015, but sadly the developer has confirmed what many of us feared - the game has been pushed into next year. It's something of a blow for those who contributed to the game's Kickstarter...
Tuesday25th Aug 2015
Talking Point The Argument For And Against amiibo-Cloning Tool Amiiqo
A necessary evil or bare-face piracy?
Nintendo's range of amiibo toys has been a commercial success, shipping over 10 million units (at the last count) and giving the company a much-needed additional revenue stream during a time of considerable turmoil and upheaval. However, the amiibo story hasn't been entirely positive, with some figures proving...
Wednesday26th Aug 2015
News Splatoon Original Soundtrack Bringing 2 CDs of Noise to Your Pointy Squid Ears
Can you handle these spicy wasabi beats?
One of the pleasantly surprising aspects of Splatoon has been its approach to music. Not only do songs in the game possess a funky blend of styles with dashes of Japanese influence, but in-world groups have been introduced with unique sounds and different K.K. Slider-like vocalists to give a feeling that the...
Tuesday25th Aug 2015
News Future Of Trine Series In Doubt Following Negative Reaction To Third Outing
"Poor media attention has caught us by surprise"
Trine studio Frozenbyte has stated that the future of the series - which has sold 7 million copies to date - could be in jeopardy following the scathing reaction to Trine 3: The Artefacts of Power's PC release. The game launched on Steam last week but has thus far received a rather negative reaction,...
News MOTHER 2 Vinyl Soundtrack Heading West
North America bound
Back in March we reported on a Kickstarter campaign aimed at bringing the original arranged Mother soundtrack to vinyl for the first time in North America. The campaign smashed its target funding goal and the project is now well on its way to completion. In a surprise announcement made earlier today, it was revealed that Ship to...
Video How Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Dev Factor 5 Gave Sonic His Home Video Game Début
A tale that gets even more unlikely with each telling
Sonic may be one of the most famous video game characters on the face of the planet, but first appearance in a domestic video game is actually relatively unknown. Sonic's actual début occurred in the arcade racer Rad Mobile (later ported to the Sega Saturn under the title Gale Racer) where he...
News Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows Development Complete, Release Date Coming "Very, Very Soon"
Challenge Mode will be on show at the Nindies PAX event
Shovel Knight was a gem of a download release in 2014 (2015 in Europe), marking an impressive début for Yacht Club Games. It scooped various Game of the Year awards courtesy of its blend of pixel-based visuals and outstanding gameplay. Of course, it originated on Kickstarter, with the...
Sadly Xenoblade Chronicles X won't be playable
PAX Prime is taking place in Seattle this week, one of the most popular expos held annually in the US - it's already sold out. As always Nintendo of America is planning to have a significant presence, in the process aiming to win over some gamers to the Wii U and 3DS cause. A notable event this year is...
Mario History Mario Kart 64 - 1997
A new kind of racing
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our last entry for this series we covered Super Mario 64, a title that utilised the capabilities of the Nintendo 64 to revolutionise Mario...
Video Mario Skate is the Latest Viral Video to Celebrate Nintendo Culture
Luigi on the charge
As we've highlighted many times before, Nintendo's brand power remains a notable force in popular culture. In the 21st Century world of YouTube, social media and some other things your humble writer probably doesn't understand, the big N's franchises are much loved and often celebrated. A recent example to have gone viral is...
News Card Matching Game And Kirby's Dream Blanket Appear In European Club Nintendo Stars Catalogue
Blanket coverage
Club Nintendo's death rattle continues, with two more items being added to the Stars Catalogue in order to tempt you to part with your soon-to-be-redundant virtual currency. First up is a Super Mario card matching game, which includes 60 cards, "each adorned with a Super Mario-themed design." Cards measure approximately 6cm x 6cm,...
News Teyon's First Wii U Game Combines Real Time Strategy, Tower Defence And The Shambling Undead
Say hello to Zombie Defense
Teyon has announced that its first Wii U title will launch next Thursday - September 3rd - on the European eShop. Zombie Defense is described as "a modern hybrid of a classic RTS and Tower Defence." As you can see from the announcement trailer below, it all looks very polished and suitably gory. A North American release...
News Shutshimi Is A Shooter For Those With Short Attention Spans, And It's Coming To Wii U Soon
"We didn't set out to reinvent the Goldfish SHMUP genre"
In our April interview with Choice Provisions we spoke briefly about Shutshimi, a unique 2D shooter being published by the firm. The game is launching on North American PS4 and Vita consoles today, and creator Neon Deity Games has been speaking about the title's
"We're very fortunate that Typoman's concept has been well received so far"
There are a number of promising games on the way to the Wii U eShop, though not many are exclusives. Typoman is an exception, then, and has a promising concept. Included in the Nindies@Home demo range earlier in the summer, we all had a chance to see how platforming and word...
Monday24th Aug 2015
News Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo Stampedes onto Shelves this November
Your fabric-based Godzilla fantasies realised
The Yarn Yoshi amiibo triplicate was a great move by Nintendo - it brought the idea of toys-to-life into actual toys that aren't glorified statuettes. Three clearly wasn't enough though, as now we can expect a giant variation of these adorable critters to arrive in North America, Europe, Australia, and...
News Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire 'Starter Boxes' Coming to Europe in October
Includes a Pokéball Cartridge Case and Hoenn Pokédex Poster
After two consecutive years with 'main' Pokémon games on the 3DS, this year brings the spin-off Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon in North America while Europeans need to wait until 2016. Game Freak, evidently, needs more time to produce its next major entry. The absence of Super Mystery...
Star Fox Zero! Fatal Frame exclusive to eShop! Devil's Third! More!
Nintendo of America and their European counterparts have decided to have an information splurge to kick off the week, which is just fine by us. First of all, it's confirmed that a Super Mario Maker Wii U hardware bundle will arrive in North America, as was previously announced for...
News Updated 'Roadmap' Infographic Shows Nintendo's 2015 Release Line-Up
It's actually the Wii U rocking the most games
If you've been browsing around the site and wider web today you'll have seen plenty of announcements from Nintendo relating to release dates, bundles and even some new goodies. It's been rather like the news splurge we'd have from a Mini Nintendo Direct, only without the relevant video. In any case,...
Tuesday25th Aug 2015
News Capcom's North American eShop Sale Has Some Tempting Discounts
Monster Hunter, Ace Attorney, Resident Evil and more
We see major publisher discounts fairly regularly on the eShop stores, with Capcom often joining in. It's now running a series of discounts once again in North America, covering major titles on both Wii U and 3DS. The following discounts are live until 8:59am Pacific on 31st August. Wii U...
Monday24th Aug 2015
News Falco, Mewtwo, Mii Fighters & More amiibo Release Details Confirmed
"I guess I should be thankful"
Furthering the sudden wave of information Nintendo has confirmed release dates for various amiibo figures across multiple regions. We've compiled all the dates below as there's quite a lot of variation between regions, but we're omitting any releases that have been announced previously. North America: Mii Fighters...
Nintendo Download 27th August (Europe)
Devil's Third! Microtransactions! Senran Kagura! Q.U.B.E! More!
The beginning of another week brings us the European Nintendo Download Update details, with this entry bringing some major releases. We have a much anticipated FPS action game on Wii U, along with a toys-to-life option and some tempting downloads, while the 3DS brings the latest Senran...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and amiibo Festival Bundle Details Emerge
Including NFC reader info for North America
As part of a detail dump from Nintendo today, information on key bundles and extras for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival have emerged. Release dates were already known for the 3DS title, and it's worth noting that amiibo Festival on Wii U still has a 'Holiday'...
News Nintendo of America Opts for 'Real World' Super Mario Maker TV Campaign
"Wanna play?"
Nintendo's marketing in North America has been interesting in the 3DS and Wii U era, as notable TV campaigns have often blended CG effects with real world actors - the latter are normally young teenagers to pitch to the family demographic. It's been a recurring formula and, to be fair to Nintendo of America, a lot of these trailers...
News Splatoon and Super Smash Bros. Lead a Lonely Fight for Nintendo in the UK Charts
Tomodachi Life squeezes in too
A little while ago a reader asked why we've not been sharing the UK charts on a weekly basis. The fact is we still check Chart-Track every Monday morning, but there's been little happy news from a Nintendo perspective. These charts cover physical retail sales, of course - no eShop figures here - and there are some key...
News New Style Boutique 2 Will Strut Its Stuff in Europe on 20th November
amiibo outfits have never been so stylish
Amongst a glut of details revealed by Nintendo across Europe and North America, the former region had an extra game up its sleeve. There's been no equivalent announcement for NA, but Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward will hit Europe on 20th November.
Mario History Super Mario 64 - 1996
A gaming revolution
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. The Nintendo 64 was a revolutionary system in multiple respects. Its unique controller introduced an analogue stick to Nintendo gamers, for one thing,...
News VS. Excitebike is On The Way Soon
Part of 'Builders Week'
Update: We've received the following information on this release from Nintendo of America: This version was originally released on the Famicom Disk System in Japan, and its upcoming release will be the first time it is available in the United States Unlike Vs. Excitebike for the arcade, this version has a track editor,...
Review Woah Dave! (Wii U eShop)
Woah indeed
Many of the titles released today feel the need to tell a story or develop characters throughout an intricate campaign. Woah Dave! is not one of these games. It is a frantic, arcade-inspired platformer with a dizzying amount of obstacles and a focus on high scores. Players may start out confused, but once they get the hang of the...
News iOS and Android Receive Pokémon Shuffle Mobile in Japan
Shuffling onto a single screen
We've known for a long time that Nintendo has been developing apps for the gigantic smart device market, and Pokémon Shuffle felt very fitting for such a market when it was first launched on the 3DS. Now it's finally made its way onto touch screens all over Japan and marks the first Nintendo game on iOS and Android...
Gallery More Details, Characters and Artwork Unleashed for Project X Zone 2
Chun-Li, Ling Xiaoyu, Morrigan and more
Project X Zone 2 remains one of the most pleasant surprises for 3DS this year, not only for the fact it's been made but also that it's coming to the West. Due this Fall in North America and next year in Europe, it'll no doubt bring its blend of cross-franchise RPG madness back once again. The original wasn't...
News Rejoice, Rural Professionals, Farming and Lumberjack Sims are Coming to Wii U
"Live the farming dream"
There have been some notable release date announcements today, but fans of rural life that can't fulfil their dreams of working on the land have some good news of their own - two sim games from Bandai Namco are heading to Wii U. Professional Farmer 2016 is exactly as it sounds - you choose and maintain a tractor before...
Review G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER (DSiWare)
The name says it all
The next title in the G.G series opts to return to the bullet hell genre with generally positive results. Due to the fact it makes little to no effort at creating its own identity, G.G Series SCORE ATTACKER is rather forgettable. That being said the controls are solid, the visuals and sound are suitably old-school, and the...
News Bowser and Toad Wii Remote Plus Controllers Heading to Europe on 20th November
New 3DS cover plates also on the way
Way back at the start of the year we shared the news that some rather handsome Bowser and Toad Wii Remotes were on their way to Japan. Thankfully they're now confirmed for Europe and, perhaps timed with Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, arrive on 20th November. For those of you with a smaller New Nintendo 3DS there...
Sunday23rd Aug 2015
News Potential Massacre Averted At Pokémon World Championships
Shotgun, assault rifle, hunting rifle and 250 rounds of ammo seized
Police have arrested two individuals who seemed intent on massacring attendees at the 12th Pokémon World Championships in Boston. 27-year-old James Austin Stumbo and 18-year-old Kevin Norton - both of whom had been invited to play in the "Masters Division" of the tournament - had...
Talking Point Pokkén Tournament May Not Be a Wii U Saviour, But It Can Provide a Welcome Boost
Giving early 2016 a focal point
Ever since its announcement for the Japanese arcade scene Pokkén Tournament has been closely followed by Pokémon and fighting game fans. Unofficial efforts have often pitched 'mon against each other in crude efforts, but the flashy Bandai Namco-developed release caused quite an online buzz. Of course, its status as...
Review I Love my Cats (3DS eShop)
Weak as a kitten
Pet simulators have certainly come a long way since the days of Tamagotchi. Where once we raised an LCD dinosaur on a screen the size of a digital watch, now we're treated to 3D renditions of cute, fluffy puppies and kittens, so realistically rendered you half expect them to leap from the screen and naively urinate on your lap. The...
Review G.G Series NYOKKI (DSiWare)
Snake charmer
The next title in the G.G series aims to remix a classic arcade game, and it mostly succeeds in achieving that goal. While there are some issues with the way that the main character responds to your controls, there really isn't much else to complain about. G.G Series NYOKKI is a good example of how to pull off a budget arcade game; it...
Live It's Time for the Pokémon World Championships Finals
World champions will be crowned
The Pokémon World Championships have reached their final day, so champions will be crowned and take the glory. Check out all of the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire action live. [liveblog=its_time_for_the_pokemon_world_championships_finals]#PlayPokemon
Saturday22nd Aug 2015
News New Patent Sparks Talk of Potential NX Details
Points to console with no in-built optical disc drive
It can often be the case that patents point to way to what's on the way or, potentially, ideas that go unfulfilled. A recent patent spotted on NeoGaf does give some cause for great intrigue, seemingly outlining a concept for console hardware; considering the timing, the phrase 'NX' is naturally...
Poll Is Pokkén Tournament The Wii U Release You've Been Waiting For?
Wish fulfilment
Just this week came an announcement that fulfilled a much cited demand from some Wii U owners - Pokkén Tournament is coming to Wii U. Its early 2016 arrival is both expected and a surprise, with plenty of logic in porting a major Japanese arcade release to a global console audience, but likewise there'd been a fear that Nintendo and...
News Next Euro Splatoon Splatfest Sadly Doesn't Feature Any Robots In Disguise
Til all aren't one
It has already been confirmed that the next North American Splatoon Splatfest event will ask players to pledge their allegiance to the heroic Autobots or Evil Decepticons, but sadly that offer isn't being extended to Europe. The Euro Splatfest occurring at the same time will instead ask Wii U owners if they prefer singing or...
Mario History Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Hotel Mario - 1994
Wait, this isn't Mario...
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In this daily series most entries have been 'main' Mario titles across portables and home consoles, with just a couple of spin-offs and cameos...
Mario History Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Mario's Tennis - 1995
A new look and new beginnings
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's easy to forget, in this period of fresh Mario 'main' series platformers every 12 to 24 months, that the mid-'90s brought a notable gap...
Nintendo Life Weekly New Patent Could Reveal NX Details, Pokkén Tournament on Wii U
Pinches of salt on standby
It's that time of the week again, and of course we've been struggling tirelessly to try and condense a whole week's worth of Nintendo news, reviews, and releases into one little video for your enjoyment. This week we're looking at the patent Nintendo has field that could suggest various features that may feature on the...
News Nintendo Continues to Consider the Prospects of the Movie Industry
"We'll potentially be looking at things like movies in the future"
When video game movies are highlighted, there's often an air of negativity around the end results. The response to the Super Mario Bros. movie wasn't overwhelmingly positive in the '90s, and in broader terms we've seen commercial successes with Resident Evil but also a whole load...
Mario Memories A Portable Warp Pipe To Lost Adventures
Catching up on history
In this series of not-quite-daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have reviewer and contributor Conor McMahon. SEGA's dominance over the UK and Irish market meant...
Live Keep Up With the Pokémon World Championships
Fighting for a place in the finals
The Pokémon World Championships are approaching the serious end to proceedings, with players battling for a place in Sunday's finals. Check out all of the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire action live. [liveblog=keep_up_with_thenpokemon_world_championships]#PlayPokemon
Friday21st Aug 2015
News Collectors Rejoice, Rare amiibo Figures Are Getting Restocked
Splatoon 3-pack! Little Mac! Villager! Captain Falcon! Marth!
Nintendo is apparently preparing to push a load more rare amiibo figures into circulation, according to CPSIA certificates found online. Restocks come around 1 to 2 months after CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) registration, and the figures getting refreshed are all listed...
News Pokémon Brawler Pokkén Tournament Coming To Wii U Early Next Year
Is that a monster in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?
The news we'd all hoped for has been confirmed - Pokkén Tournament is indeed coming to the Wii U. Spring 2016 is the magic release window, and the news was confirmed by a video on The Official Pokémon Channel. A collaboration between The Pokémon Company and Bandai Namco,...
Video Metroid in Unreal Engine 4 is Shiny and Slightly Strange
10/10 for effort
It's all the rage, despite Nintendo joining the HD age in 2012, for fans to produce classic big N franchises in modern game engines. With the Unreal Engine not being formally supported on the Wii U - though games using the engine can be ported to the system - it seems to be a popular choice for aspiring programmers. It wasn't long...
News Luigi Diorama and Legend of Zelda Carry Case Return to Club Nintendo
With terrifying prices
It may seem odd to Club Nintendo fans in North America who are mourning the loss of the service in the region, but Nintendo of Europe continues to release new rewards for the soon-to-end programme. As we've said in other recent entries for these additions, the pool of members with enough stars for these goodies must be...
Mario History Super Mario All-Stars - 1993
Remastering NES classics
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. As part of the inevitable circle of life in gaming, we come to a compilation of remasters. In some respects Nintendo was a trailblazer, as...
Mario Memories Conquering the First Level in Super Mario Bros.
"I had a sense of fear about progressing further into the first level"
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have news writer, reviewer and Australian Correspondent...
Live Watch a Special Pokkén Tournament Invitational!
Live from the Pokémon World Championship
Following the exciting announcement of Pokkén Tournament coming to Wii U in 2016, high-profile fighting game players will now battle it out and showcase the game; watch it with us live! [liveblog=watch_a_special_pokken_tournament_invitational]#PlayPokemon #PokkénTournament
Weirdness Blizzard's Heroes Of The Storm Features A Nintendo-Themed Easter Egg
Duck and cover
Blizzard's popular MOBA Heroes of the Storm recently got a substantial update which updated existing characters and introduced the Dialbo III's Monk, who naturally has his own menu screen to reside in outside of the game itself. It's in this menu screen that Blizzard has chosen to hide a special Duck Hunt Easter Egg. Spotted by...
News Disney Infinity 3.0 Goes Big With Star Wars Content in Latest Trailer
The nostalgia is strong with this one
In the next month or so we'll have the battle of toys-to-life. Along with Skylanders SuperChargers and LEGO Dimensions we'll have Disney Infinity 3.0; it's going to be a hugely competitive - and expensive - battleground, and a particularly important one for Disney in light of momentum being lost with Infinity...
News Ubisoft Announces Just Dance: Disney Party 2 Is Coming To The Wii U This Holiday Season
Also arriving on the Wii
Just days after Disney fans got a sneak peak of the game at the D23 Expo 2015, Ubisoft in collaboration with Disney Interactive have announced Just Dance: Disney Party 2 is in development for multiple home consoles including Nintendo’s Wii U and also past generation system, the Wii. The title will include a variety of hit...
News We're Pretty Sure We Need These Earthbound Techo Planners In Our Lives
Shigesato Itoi mines his past for future greatness
One of the many modern-day pursuits of Earthbound / Mother creator Shigesato Itoi is creating planners, or "Techos" as they're known in Japan. His company Hobonichi makes many of these useful items, which can be used as a diary, notebook or scrapbook. Hobonichi has had plenty of success in its...
Video Get Dizzy on Splatoon's New Flounder Heights Map
Social tench-ion
A week without more free Splatoon content is a week we'd rather not have. Thankfully the big squid in the sky has been kind yet again and graced us with a new map: Flounder Heights. This new map employs a unique variety of different levels, but without the sheer scale or linear vertical space of Moray Towers. It's certainly one...
Review G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY (DSiWare)
A missed opportunity
Thought the G.G Series was done, did you? Well it's not, and – after a brief hiatus – we're back to giving you our two cents as to which of these numerous mini games are worth your time. This time around, G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY is in the hotseat and it manages to provide a beautifully divisive experience that manages...
News Nintendo Is Bringing Splatoon And More To The UK's Biggest Live Gaming Events
Insomnia and Legends of Gaming Live get some N-Love
Nintendo UK has confirmed that it will be attending Insomnia 55 and Legends of Gaming Live 2015 this year, bringing with it a host of games and multiplayer activities. First up is Insomnia 55, which takes place between 28th and 31st August at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry. The UK's biggest live gaming...
Thursday20th Aug 2015
Review 3D Gunstar Heroes (3DS eShop)
Holding out for a hero
Gunstar Heroes charged onto the Sega Mega Drive in 1993, significantly marking the début of quirky developer Treasure - having been formed from ex-Konami staff wanting to go it their own way. Often seen floating near to the top of many 'best game ever' lists, Gunstar Heroes is a bona-fide classic of the 16-bit era that's now...
Nintendo Download 20th August (North America)
Escher-like puzzles, robots, crab cakes, Gunstar Heroes and Daves
It's time for another Nintendo Download Update in North America, and this week serves up a fairly diverse range of options. We have many promising Indie efforts on Wii U, a Sega Genesis classic reborn in 3D along with lots of other downloadable delights. Let's get to the details...
Video Super Mario Maker Contains Secret Fly Swatting Mini Game
Mario Paint style
Not content with being what is arguably the ultimate 2D Mario experience, Super Mario Maker is also host to some neat little features burrowed away behind walls of code. One that caught our eye as we were playing was that shifting a block can sometimes reveal three flies from underneath it. Swatting these flies takes you away from...
Weirdness F-Zero-Style Recharge Strips Are Coming To UK Roads
YOU'VE GOT BOOST POWER
The battery life of electric cars could be increased by the use of special recharging strips on roads which use electromagnetic fields to transfer energy to the vehicle while it's in motion. UK-based Highways England is currently testing the technology and will soon begin an 18-month trial to ascertain the viability of the...
News There's Another New Map Coming To Splatoon
Welcome to Flounder Heights
Nintendo has revealed that yet another new map is coming to its online shooter Splatoon. Flounder Heights appears to be set in a compact network of apartment blocks, with plenty of vertical surfaces to make things nice and tactical. It will be added to the regular map rotation tonight in North America and tomorrow...
News Analysts Suggest That Nintendo's Quality Of Life Initiative Has Been "Put On The Back Burner"
Could Iwata's passing have put the brakes on QOL?
Industry analysts are suggesting that Nintendo's much-hyped Quality of Life project has been quietly mothballed following the untimely death of company president Satoru Iwata. Originally announced at the start of 2014, QOL hasn't been all that visible in Nintendo's current plans, and the death of...
Mario History Super Mario Kart - 1992
The start of something beautiful
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. With the exception of our 1987 entry, this series of articles on Mario titles for each year since 1985 has been all about main-series...
News This iBookGuy Video Explaining How "Oldschool" Graphics Work Has Deservedly Gone Viral
Simple and detailed at once
In a reminder of how curiosity in retro gaming, programming and technology can combine to dramatic affect online, a video exploring 'How "oldschool" graphics worked' has gone viral this week. Published by The iBookGuy on 17th August, it's already amassed over one million views at the time of writing. It's a great watch,...
News Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Director's Cut Getting Physical Release In North America
Cut-price release coming next month
It would appear that Wii U eShop platformer Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is getting an updated physical retail release in North America. Retailer Toys''R''Us has Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams Director's Cut listed for a September 8th release, and is pricing it at $39.99. Extra content exclusive
Best Robo-Buddies
There's something very pleasing about hitting heavy buttons on a filthy old control panel in Factotum. The rusted controls and green screens give the game this sense that the technology fueling starships doesn't look much different from that which you'd find in your local auto shop. Luckily, repairing a space ship isn't as...
News Nintendo 2DS Drops To $99 In North America
30 bucks off, Mario Kart 7 still included
Nintendo is slashing $30 off the recommended retail price of the Nintendo 2DS in North America. The price drop to $99.99 comes into effect on August 30th. The system still comes bundled with Mario Kart 7. Nintendo is hoping that the price drop will boost the sales of Little Battlers eXperience, which...
News Pokkén Tournament Trademark Surfaces In Europe, NFC Connectivity Mentioned
Arcade or Wii U? You decide...
The Pokémon Company has registered a new trademark for its fighting title Pokkén Tournament in Europe. At this stage it's not clear if the trademark relates to the arcade version - which is already doing the rounds in Japan - or a hoped-for Wii U conversion. It's also
News WayForward May Be Teasing a New Mighty Switch Force Title
With an 'Academy' theme
This year is WayForward's 25th Anniversary, a notable landmark for a studio that's among the elite of active eShop developers, particularly. Of course, it did plenty of retail games in past generations, while its Shantae and Mighty Switch Force franchises have been key to its success in more recent years. The studio is...
News Join Nintendo UK As They Play The First Hour Of Super Mario Maker On Twitch
5PM UK time today!
In our recent Super Mario Maker preview we said it "feels like a Nintendo game with no shortcuts or rushed compromises, and has evidently been a project carefully nurtured and prioritised. From the substantial functionality to the beautiful re-creation of 8- and 16-Bit Mario templates in HD, this really is shaping up to be the...
Mario Memories Treasuring Mario Games Across Generations
"Mario has been a gateway of sorts to everything that is Nintendo"
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have video contributor Lee Garbutt. It is incredibly...
Weirdness Dancing Electric Rodents Infest The Japanese Coastal Town Of Yokohama
Pika-pi, Pikachu!!
Japan appears to be absolutely obsessed with the cute, cuddly and electric Pokémon, Pikachu. To celebrate the nation’s cultural obsession with the adorable pocket monster, for a second year in a row now, Nintendo has infested the coastal Japanese town of Yokohama with dancing Pikachu. These giant-sized Pikachu are actually a...
Wednesday19th Aug 2015
News McDonald's Happy Meal Boomerang Mario In UK Tabloid Scandal
"I was very concerned because it looked completely inappropriate"
We've been enjoying collecting the new range of Super Mario toys in McDonald's Happy Meals in the UK since the promotion started up again on the 12th August. We even tasked Nintendo Life's YouTube botherer Alex with doing an unboxing last week for you lovely people. Thankfully Alex's...
News Splatoon eSports Tournament Series To Be Launched In Japan
Over $1 million in prize money
It seems like only yesterday that we learnt that North America would be getting a Transformers themed Splatfest in the ever-popular Splatoon. The Splatoon hype train waits for no man however and it's been revealed today that a Splatoon eSports tournament series will be launched in Japan with over $1 million in prize...
Review The Bridge (Wii U eShop)
Turning the tables with M.C. Escher
The Bridge is a colourless, drab, bleak affair. It's also engaging, addictive and fantastic. If you haven't heard of The Bridge before, don't worry; it's a puzzle-platformer that was quietly released on Steam in 2013, then later ported to Xbox 360 that same year. The game opens on the nameless main character...
News What Can be Said About This SENRAN KAGURA 2: Deep Crimson Collector's Edition Unboxing?
It's the Happy Boobs edition
Senran Kagura Burst proved to be quite a divisive title, with some claiming it was harmless titillation and others finding the content of the game to be derogatory to women. Things don't appear to have changed much with SENRAN KAGURA 2: Deep Crimson and when we interviewed Producer Kenichirō Takaki at E3 this
News You Won't Need An Adult's Wallet To Get This Adorable Young Link Nendoroid
Lasts longer than three days
Not content with releasing a single Link Nendoroid figurine Good Smile Company has seen fit to produce another adorable Hero of Time. This Link won't be saving Hyrule though as it's modelled after his appearance in Majora's Mask and comes complete with Goron, Zora, and Deku masks. Not only that but should you feel brave...
News M2's Porting of Gunstar Heroes To 3DS Was Almost In Vain
Sega didn't even know M2 was working on Gunstar Heroes
This week sees the western launch of 3D Gunstar Heroes, the latest in Sega's line of 3DS-based 3D Classics. It's one of the most beloved games of the 16-bit era, and also one of the most technically impressive Genesis/Mega Drive titles seen so far. Yosuke Okunari, producer at Sega, and Naoki...
News Chasing Dead To Bring Horror And FPS Action To The Wii U eShop Soon
A glimpse of a dark future
It has to be said the Wii U isn't particularly well served when it comes to the genre of horror games and first person shooters; we have Fatal Frame and Devil's Third to look forward to (although the jury is still out on the latter), but a game which combines the two genres has to be embraced with both arms. Enter Chasing...
News Zelda Fan Builds Amazing LEGO Hyrule Castle
Everything is awesome!
We've seen some amazing LEGO creations over the years at Nintendo Life, but this recreation of Hyrule Castle from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess possibly tops them all. It's the work of 19 year old Joseph Zawada, who unveiled the masterpiece at Brickfair Virginia this year. Zawada explains that Twilight Princess is...
News Rodea The Sky Soldier Special Edition Now Available For Pre-Order On Nintendo UK Store
Wii version included, huzzah!
Although recently being delayed, Rodea The Sky Soldier is now available to pre-order on Nintendo's UK Store for both the 3DS and the Wii U version, the latter of which comes bundled with a Wii copy of the game as well. Strangely the only version that's available for each console is the limited edition that comes with...
Disney, Hasbro and VIZ Media all involved
Throughout 2015 we've had snippets of information on how Level-5 would team up with partners to try and make Yo-kai Watch as big a hit in the West as it already is in Japan. It was also confirmed that the game would arrive in North America in 2015 (PAL territories in 2016), and now a firm release date has...
Video PBS Game/Show Gets Into Questions of Ecology for Pokémon's Growing Pokédex
Because why not?
it probably wasn't intended when launched, but the Pokémon franchise has evolved - you can praise that sharp wit in the comments - into a sprawling IP with over 700 'mon in its Pokédex. It's got levels of complexity that, to the uninitiated, can seem downright intimidating. A common refrain with each new generation is to question...
Thursday20th Aug 2015
News Stella Glow Introduces Players to the Fine Art of Witch Tuning
Get your witch on pitch
Upcoming RPG Stella Glow has a substantial musical element to it, as our own Morgan Sleeper discovered early on with his first impressions of the game. According to publisher Atlus, the five witches encountered within Stella Glow's world possess forms of rare song magic, and having them reach their full potential means...
Wednesday19th Aug 2015
Interview Simogo and Dakko Dakko Explain Why Year Walk is "Coming Home" on Wii U
"The GamePad becomes the link between the player and the game."
The Wii U eShop has been integral to the appeal of the system for long term owners. The influx of 'Nindies' of various kinds has kept the store busy, and has also enabled some exclusives and intriguing PC releases to make their way onto Nintendo hardware. In some cases the GamePad, in...
News Picross 3D Sequel is Heading to the 3DS in Japan, Includes amiibo Support
Here's hoping for a Western release
The DS introduced various genre ideas and intuitive ways to enjoy them, and alongside a substantial range of RPGs - as one example - there were plenty of puzzle games. Picross 3D was one such title, a relatively simple idea that was rather enjoyable as a twist on a well-established idea. That title was developed...
News Watch Pikachu Dance, Dance, Dance in This New 3DS HOME Theme
Busting some moves
Pikachu is kind of a big deal, we know - as the main mascot and spokesthing for Pokémon, the little yellow critter's cuteness is appreciated by millions of fans around the world. So when Nintendo, The Pokémon Company or Game Freak are spreading the gospel of 'mon, this is one character that appears regularly. Now, in a follow...
Mario Memories The Delight of Sharing Mario Adventures With Loved Ones
Co-op is always possible
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have E3 veteran and reviewer Morgan Sleeper. Thinking back on my time with Mario, one thing stands...
Tuesday18th Aug 2015
Review LBX: Little Battlers eXperience (3DS)
Battle-ready or rusting in a corner?
If your first thought when looking at LBX: Little Battlers eXperience was that it's aimed for children you'd be right on the money. From top to toe this is clearly aimed at the older child/young teenager market with its colourful aesthetic, 'kid-friendly' violence and badass robots. The core of the game however...
News Wii U System Update Now Live, Finally Puts TVii Out Of Its Misery
Along with the usual improvements to system stability and usability
A new Wii U system update is available, but don't get too excited - the most significant thing about it is that it removes TVii functionality in the US. For anyone outside of North America, this will mean very little. Nintendo never got around to launching it elsewhere and actually...
Video Here's How Zombi Shapes Up Against The Original ZombiU
Reanimated
As we already know, Ubisoft has dusted off its Wii U launch title ZombiU and released it on the PS4, Xbox One and PC at a budget price, minus all the second-screen malarkey which made the Nintendo edition so tense and compelling. The publisher has insisted that the port features visual improvements - despite the evidence
News It's Autobots vs Decepticons in the Upcoming Transformers Splatfest
Transform and squid out!
Nintendo's regions have had their ups and downs with Splatfest themes, with some being much better than others. Nintendo of America has a doozy on the way, though, tying in with Hasbro for a Transformers event. The 24-hour face-off in North America will be Autobots vs Decepticons, with each player receiving a cool t-shirt...
News Sonic Classic Collection On Nintendo DS Cut Content Including A Crazy Taxi 4 Pitch
Plans for extra games
Remember the Sonic Classic Collection released on the DS in 2010? As neat as it was, it was also slightly underwhelming when there were far more extensive Sonic-themed collections already available on other platforms for much cheaper prices. Fansite The Sonic Stadium has now uncovered new information regarding this...
Video Did You Know Gaming? Looks at Dr. Mario and Power-Ups Left on the Cutting Room Floor
Chicken and Demon Mario suits would have been sweet
With the 30th Anniversary of Super Mario coming up, there's lots of celebration of the iconic franchise. We're running daily articles on Mario Memories and Mario History here on Nintendo Life, and plenty of websites and YouTube channels are also looking at the iconic mascot's games. Did You Know...
Preview Rekindling Platforming Passion in Super Mario Maker
It's about the playing as well as the creating
Super Mario Maker is now rather close, and there's every chance that the Wii U exclusive will be regarded as a key turning point for 2D Mario gaming in years to come. Having spent some time with the final build, it's clear to us that Nintendo's finest have been truly devoting themselves to this most...
Mario History Super Mario World - 1991
A new generation of Mario
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1990 entry we covered Super Mario Bros. 3, so rapidly moving onto Super Mario World is an indication of h
Review Wind-up Knight 2 (Wii U eShop)
Finite Jogger
Endless runners are a dime a dozen, but few take the time to flesh out interesting gameplay. Wind-up Knight 2 adds an extra level of polish and platforming to elevate the game above its colleagues, but not without stumbling a little along the way. In WUK 2 you play as a knight who must complete a stage while continually running at...
News Freedom Planet Release Bound by Bug
Wii U debut postponed, but not out
The effort to get the speedy, indie action-adventure game Freedom Planet onto the Wii U eShop has had some very tough breaks lately. Its North American release was first pushed back a week by a console-freezing bug found in review copies of the game. Now, with the revised release date nearing, developer GalaxyTrail...
Mario Memories Super Mario Galaxy 2: A Tale of Hype and Expectation
The hype was real
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer and news contributor Mitch Vogel. May 23, 2010. That date will forever hold significance to me as...
Video Things Go Bump In The Night In This Lego Dimensions Scooby Doo Trailer
ZOINKS
It's not long now before the launch of Lego Dimensions, and here we have an exclusive trailer for the Scooby Doo levels, as well as a close look at how this will play on the Wii U. While it's not right to have favourites, Scooby has to be up there with Back to the Future and Ghostbusters as a fan favourite brand. He's one of 14 franchises...
News Nintendo Hosting Nindies@Night At EMP Museum In Seattle
The night before PAX Prime, in fact
Nintendo is teaming up with Seattle's EMP Museum for a special Nindies@Night event prior to this year's PAX Prime. The evening will feature competitions, giveaways, presentations and of course the chance to play some of the unique indie titles coming to the Wii U and 3DS eShops. Here's the press release: Fans...
Video Get A Feel For Little Battlers eXperience In This Mech-Filled Overview Trailer
Handheld havoc
Level 5's mech-building title Little Battlers eXperience launches very soon, but Nintendo is giving the game very little in the way of promotion or hype. What should be a tent-pole release in the 3DS calendar has received precious little attention, although to its credit Nintendo UK has recently released a fresh overview trailer which...
News Fresh SteamWorld Heist Screenshots Show Off New Enemy Class
Meet The Royalists
SteamWorld Heist is heading to the 3DS this Fall with a release on Wii U and other platforms to follow, and Image & Form's latest is sure to be one of the eShop's big ticket releases in the remainder of this year. Our chums at Image & Form have kindly provided us with 6 new screenshots of the game which can be seen below...
Monday17th Aug 2015
News The Piracy of amiibo Now Seems Possible With the 'amiiqo' Device
Oh, sorry, it's for 'backing up' figures
It's well known that those with a desire to backup or clone Skylanders figures have had the means to do so, which in part is courtesy of the simplistic NFC technology. Encryption is possible, but it doesn't take long for someone to break through the security of the humble chips. Naturally the same threat has...
News 3DS Homebrew Hacker Turns to YouTube App As Latest Workaround for 'Tubehax'
Follows the removal of IRONFALL Invasion from the eShop
Early this month the rather niche 3DS homebrew scene had a key evolution, moving away from requiring a specific retail game - namely Cubic Ninja - and utilising a free download to trigger the workaround. It's a small-scale scene compared to the DS days, but the homebrew launcher efforts of...
News Nintendo Announces Another Run of the Splatoon Testfire Demo
Kicks off later this week
Splatoon has been on the market since late May and has proven to be a commercial and critical success on Wii U, yet Nintendo is naturally keen to push the title as an evergreen release. With the continual free content updates, that's not surprising. Intriguingly, it's now been confirmed that there'll be another run of...
Nintendo Download 20th August (Europe)
The Bridge, ZaciSa, Wario, 3D Gunstar Heroes and more
The beginning of a new week brings us the European Nintendo Download Update, and this week brings some interesting option. On the Wii U we have a critically acclaimed and stylish puzzle title along with a heavily updated budget release and a DS game, while on 3DS we have the latest SEGA 3D...
Talking Point Considering the Future of Nintendo Direct and Beyond for Reaching Old and New Fans
Continued evolution, or a fresh direction?
Since it first emerged in late 2011, the Nintendo Direct concept has been integral to the big N's strategy for communicating with fans. In busy periods there can be multiple broadcasts in a single month, while longer gaps of 6-8 weeks have become relatively common in the past two years. We're in the midst...
News Rejoice, There's A Tingle Costume In Super Mario Maker
That's our year made, then
Love him or hate him, Tingle is making his way to Super Mario Maker - in costume form, at least. Arguably one of the oddest characters Nintendo has ever made, Tingle started life in the Zelda series but has since starred in his own games as well. The news of him appearing in Super Mario Maker began life as a rumour, with...
Review Sanatory Hallways (Wii U eShop)
*Insert creepy-door-closing sound effect
Let's go back to November 2012. The Wii U was finally gracing us with its gorgeous, HD presence and alongside it sat Nintendo Land, a collection of 12 great games that perfectly showed off what the GamePad could do. One of the most loved games from the collection was Luigi's Ghost Mansion, an asymmetric...
Mario History Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1990
Platforming wizardry
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. Though it landed in Japan in late 1988, it would be February 1990 before Super Mario Bros. 3 would grace the NES in North America - painfully, it...
Ninterview Dave Higgins And The Quest For A Complete European Game Boy Library
Collecting at a rate of 1.064 games per day
Nintendo is responsible for some of the most iconic gaming systems of all time, but one of its most technically humble seems to be undergoing something of a resurgence at present. The monochrome Game Boy may not have the visual impact of the SNES or N64, but its portable nature arguably lends a more...
Video Check Out the Diversity of the Question Block in Super Mario Maker With This Quirky Trailer
Level creation meets game show
Those following it closely will already know a great deal about Super Mario Maker, which is making its way to Wii U on 11th September. Beyond its various features, however, is a huge helping of character and quirky presentation. The latest video shared by Nintendo's Japanese YouTube channel highlights that nicely,...
Mario Memories Super Mario RPG Opens Up The World (and a Boss's Big Mouth)
"Mario! Prepare yourself for the great beyond!"
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer and news contributor Tim Latshaw. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the...
News Club Nintendo Adds Some Snappy Coaster Sets in PAL Territories
Drink with style
Club Nintendo in Europe and Australia has evolved into a source of unnecessary cruelty, as a number of members have likely already blown their remaining balances on a lamp, download code or a myriad of other options. Now there are new products, and what are some of the priciest drink coasters - in virtual money, at least - that...
Gallery This NES Console Mod Is The Ultimate Metroid Tribute
Worth hunting for
This year marks 29 years since Metroid was released in North America, and to celebrate the occasion fans are paying tribute to the NES classic in a wide range of ways. Modder Platinumfungi has collaborated with airbrush artist Noel McEwen to craft a one-of-a-kind NES console complete with a Samus sprite which lights up when the...
Happy happy, joy joy
Chasing Aurora developer Broken Rules has revealed on Twitter that is it porting Michael Todd's Electronic Super Joy to the Wii U eShop. A music-filled platformer with a strong sense of humour, Electronic Super Joy is currently available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and was awarded a solid 9/10 by Destructoid. Ironically, its...
Sunday16th Aug 2015
News This Mario Kart XXL Game Boy Advance Prototype Looks... Interesting
Best left on the cutting room floor
If any company is currently the leading light in prioritising enjoyable gameplay over pushing technology it's Nintendo. A look at the current and upcoming sleight of games re-affirms that clever ideas, established gameplay and colourful visuals are the priority - in most cases - above pushing boundaries. Of...
Mario Memories The Creative Joy of Childhood and Super Mario Maker as a Modern-Day Roll of Paper
Mario Maker is for all the kids who will look back 20 years from now
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is Nintendo Life veteran and Noiseless Chatter master Philip J...
Mario History Super Mario Land - 1989
Portable platforming
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. It's a reflection of the technological times that it was 1989 before Nintendo produced a profitable portable - its grey and green screen was far from...
Saturday15th Aug 2015
News Nintendo Removes Ironfall Invasion From 3DS eShop Ahead Of Ironhax Exploit Release
Beaten to the punch
A short time go we reported on the Ironhax exploit which would allow 3DS users to run homebrew and unsigned code on their consoles. The work of Jordan "Smealum" Rabet, Ironhax was unique in that unlike other methods, it didn't require the user to purchase a physical game in order to make it run - Ironfall Invasion is a...
Video Drench Yourself in Splatoon's New Rainmaker Mode
Make it rain
Not content to rest on the wealth of free updates already, Nintendo has launched a new mode in Splatoon called Rainmaker. This mode tasks you and your team to carry a giant golden fish known as the Rainmaker into the enemy's base. You won't be defenceless though, charge this titular little number up and you'll unleash a flurry of ink...
Mario History Super Mario Bros. 2 - 1988
Like a dream
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. In our 1986 entry of this series we covered Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which forms the other half of this particular tale. Both that and what would...
Mario Memories Pre-Internet Timeline Confusion and the Joys of Computer Club
The first rule of Computer Club...
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is reviewer Jonathan Town. Looking back now, I realise that growing up in Wakefield (West...
Nintendo Life Weekly Super Mario Maker New Features
A handful of everything
It's that time of the week again, and as always we've thrown together what qualifies as being the biggest news of the week as well as all the releases and reviews. This week we're focusing on the new features in Super Mario Maker, Chris Prangar's unfortunate dismissal, and much more besides! Have you subscribed to Nintendo...
Event Super Mario Kart SNES World Championships 2015 - 18th to 22nd August
Champion racers are back
The worldwide Mario Kart community is huge, especially since the success of Mario Kart 8; yet let's not forget that the older versions are still heavily competitive. Super Mario Kart has Official World Championships held annually in France every August run by the French Federation of SMK team ( Nintendo of France have been a...
Friday14th Aug 2015
Exclusive MercurySteam Has Been Working On A Metroid Prototype For Wii U And 3DS
Update: Anonymous developer tried to leak the game three months ago
Update: Since we posted the original story, we have since come across this curious post from 4chan's /v/ board (click that link at your own risk) which appears to show a member of Spain's development community attempting to leak the existence of MercurySteam's Metroid. The post...
Talking Point Nintendo's Dismissal of Chris Pranger Highlights Issues With Company Culture
"I've failed you. I've failed me."
If I were fired from making games at Nintendo, I would feel cataclysmically heartbroken in such a way that I might never recover. This is the imagined story I have just now constructed in my head, but for former Nintendo localization editor Chris Pranger, this heartache is more than a pained hypothetical. Pranger...
Review Japanese Rail Sim 3D Journey to Kyoto (3DS eShop)
This train has gone off the rails
Japanese Rail Sim 3D Journey to Kyoto is the sequel to Journey in Suburbs #1, which was released in June of this same year. Just like its predecessor the title centres around the idea of playing the role of a train conductor in Japan, in this case the city of Kyoto; unfortunately this title fails to change the...
News The Legend of Legacy Launch Edition is a Thing of Beauty, Arrives on 13th October
Hats off once again to Atlus
When it comes to 3DS RPG releases in North America, Atlus is the publisher at the forefront of a number of the finest arrivals in recent years. The Legend of Legacy is yet another example, headed to the region on 13th October. Developed by FuRyu, with hugely respected industry figures involved such as Tomomi Kobayashi...
Review Onimusha Tactics (Wii U eShop / GBA)
The Oni put the feud in feudal Japan
Onimusha Tactics was originally released 12 years ago, in 2003, for the Game Boy Advance. Developed and produced by Capcom, the same company that made the Onimusha series on the PS2, Tactics's gameplay and individual story deviates from the originals but retains a similar plot (involving the Onimusha and battling...
News Splatoon Passes Half a Million Copies Sold in the US as Wii U Game Sales Beat 2014 Figures
3DS hardware results are also up
It's NPD time again - though the figures only represent 'new' sales at physical retail and are therefore limited in scope, they give some insight into the state of the US gaming market. Overall, the market in the July sales is up compared to 2014's equivalent period. From Nintendo's perspective the software top 10 -...
Video Iron Maiden's New Music Video Pays Tribute To Donkey Kong, Of All Things
A heavy trip through gaming history
Legendary British heavy metal band Iron Maiden are preparing to release their first single in half a decade and have put together a video game-inspired music video to mark the occasion. Speed of Light's official video sees the band's iconic mascot Eddie getting sucked into an arcade machine which then forces him...
News The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth's New 3DS Patch is Now Being Tested by Nintendo
It's still coming, as is our review
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth has arrived on Wii U in North America and is rather good, but the New Nintendo 3DS-exclusive version has encountered issues. A range of initial bugs were patched out rather quickly, but that update seemed to trigger an issue that freezes the game entirely in some cases. The
Mario Memories How Super Mario Land Made Me A Nintendo Fan
Damien McFerran on the game which started a portable obsession
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. Next up is Editorial Director Damien McFerran. Tetris is widely regarded...
Video Here Are The Features In The Disney Infinity 3.0 Toy Box
Now includes farming!
In preparation for the North American release of Disney Infinity 3.0 on 30th August, Disney Interactive has released a trailer showcasing the new features and toys in the Toy Box 3.0. One of the highlights includes the addition of farming, where players can feed, clothe, and nurture townspeople sidekicks and then put them to...
Mario History Punch-Out!! and Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race - 1987
The master of cameos
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game (or more!) every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. 1987 was a rather quiet year for Mario. Nintendo was somewhat occupied with conquering the video game world and popularising a range of...
News Short Bursts Of Tetris Can Help To Control Certain Cravings, Claims Science
Games are good for you
A three minute block-busting blast on Tetris can curb the desire for food, alcohol and cigarettes, a team of researchers is claiming. A team of psychologists from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology conducted an experiment to monitor the impact of playing Tetris on a group of 31 participants aged...
Thursday13th Aug 2015
"Yes, it was ultimately my own fault"
In recent times there's been a trend of Nintendo Treehouse staff becoming a little more visible, expanding upon their appearances at E3 and special broadcasts and engaging with the public. A number of the team have been on social media for some time, but there's been a sense recently that they have a little more...
Nintendo Download 13th August (North America)
Pandora's Tower, a wound up Knight, Tank heroism and more
It's time for another Nintendo Download Update, and this time around we have an 'Operation Rainfall' arrival on the Wii U eShop alongside a runner, while on 3DS we have tank battling and a few other options. There are also a load of discounts thrown in, so let's get to the details. Missed...
Hands On Devil's Third - Sampling Online Chaos and Fearing the Devilry of Microtransactions
Ironically you can buy Golden Eggs
When we shared our initial first impressions of Devil's Third it turned into a bit of a saga; your humble writer was surprised at the level of feeling that came out in response to an early look at the game. The focus was on the single player campaign at that point, with our general summary being that - while full...
Mario History Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels - 1986
Or just Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. We kicked off this series with a look at Super Mario Bros., and it's pleasing that it only took one year for Mario's history to get...
News Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Acknowledges Nintendo as a 'Beacon' for First-Party Games
"They've done a great job"
To the undoubted chagrin of those that yearn for a 'console war' of the type seen between Nintendo and SEGA in the '90s, the modern day big three generally share a great deal of mutual respect. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft rarely engage in squabbles, each happy to praise and talk up each other's achievements; that's no bad...
Weirdness Female UFC Champ Was A Huge Pokémon Fan, Doesn't Like Zelda: Majora's Mask All That Much
"I was constantly freaking out about the time"
Olympic medal-winning martial artist Ronda Rousey is one of the most famous female athletes on the face of the planet right now. She's the current (and first) UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and has also forged out a successful acting career, having starred in the likes of Furious 7 and The...
News Splatoon's Rainmaker Mode Is Coming Tomorrow
Or Saturday morning, if you're in Europe
Splatoon's next ranked battle mode is coming to North America tomorrow night, with a European release arriving on Saturday morning. The new mode involves carrying the Rainmaker item to the enemy's base. The Rainmaker allows the carrier to hurl cyclones of ink, but they're slow moving and will naturally...
Pre-orders now open for business
Nintendo's official UK store has opened pre-orders for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, and is offering a selection of bundle options related to the game. The game on its own is up for pre-order at £34.99 and comes with a special 3DS Kit, which includes: A universal system case which holds New Nintendo 3DS...
Video Get Happy with Our Super Mario McDonald's Happy Meal Unboxing
What's in the box?
Further promoting the many adventures of everyone's favourite Italian plumber after Luigi, McDonald's has once again begun giving away toys in the Super Mario vein with its child-focused brand of Happy Meals, much in the same way they did last year. We delve into the box of supposed joy to uncover what awaits inside its cardboard...
Video You Can Turn Boss Weapons Against Their Owners In Mega Man Legacy Collection's Challenge Mode
Give them a taste of their own medicine
Mega Man Legacy Collection will contain plenty of goodies, and one of the most appealing is the challenge mode which features speed runs, remixes and a boss rush element. That's right, you can fight the characters who are arguably the stars of each title, and even use their own weapons against them -...
News Woah Dave! Arrives On The Wii U eShop 20th August, Cross-Buy Promotion Also On Offer
Double Dave
If you live in the US and purchased the 3DS eShop title – Woah Dave! – when it was released in October last year, you’re in for a treat, with the publisher Choice Provisions today announcing the game will be available on the Wii U eShop on 20th August, with a cross-buy promotion also on offer for existing 3DS owners – making the...
Video The Monster Hunter Training Academy Emphasizes the Importance of Gathering and Combining Items
Green herbs, Blue Mushrooms and Honey - don't forget
Just recently we shared the first entry in Capcom's cute Monster Hunter Training Academy series, which is introducing series newbies to the basics of Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Part one was relatively simple, but we're getting to more useful tips in the latest video uploaded on the Monster Hunter...
Wednesday12th Aug 2015
Serial code giveaway for Australia & New Zealand, UK details also inside
Update: In the United Kingdom, players can obtain Shiny Rayquaza and Pikachu at Smyths Toys Superstores starting on 24th August, with the promotion lasting four weeks. Original post: If you’re a fan of the legendary serpentine pocket monster, Rayquaza, and happen to live in...
News Enter a Crazy Code to Unlock a New Character in the Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden Demo
Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Vegeta, apparently
Update: Thanks to the comments and a quick web search this demo is actually available in North America, somewhat negating our first line below. While it was promoted and given a 'shelf' in Europe, its release in NA has been rather stealthy - apparently a search for the name or a rummage through the...
News Nintendo's Awesome Super Mario Maker Overview Announces New Features
SFX and music creation! Gradual item unlocks! 50+ amiibo supported!
Super Mario Maker is now less than a month away, and Nintendo's released a rather cool overview video that shows it off and reveals some key new details. There are some standout announcements - notably, it'll be possible to create and use your own sound effects in levels (along...
Snap it up
As announced last week, Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water - better known as Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden in North America - will only have a limited edition available at retail in Europe. In what's a potentially smart move for a relatively niche release, this release will be joined by a free-to-download version on the
Mario History Super Mario Bros. - 1985
Changing the gaming industry forever
In this series of articles we'll write about one Mario game every day for 30 days, each representing a different year as part of our Super Mario 30th Anniversary celebrations. To paraphrase the great poet Dylan Thomas, for this run of articles celebrating the Super Mario franchise we will begin at the...
Review BADLAND: Game of the Year Edition (Wii U eShop)
They're watching you!
In a dark forest, scarred by alien machinery and steeped in an unnatural silence, a strange, hairy creature bobs awkwardly across the foreground. Without really knowing what to do the player tries out a few buttons, and quickly discovers a way to keep the little furball in the air. After a few tumbles and unfortunate accidents,...
Continued conundrums
The Picross e series seems to have settled in its ways now, not choosing to add any more additional features and simply having new sets of puzzles with each release. Picross e6 is no exception, once again playing it very safe and just giving you more pictures to unveil. Again, the three available modes are Picross, Micross and...
News 'Green Blob' Pokémon Set for Key Role in Mega Evolution XY Anime Special
A key part of lore, or just a blob?
Since its initial tease in Japanese theatre showings of the latest Pokémon movie, and subsequent marketing images with a better look, there's been huge interest in the 'green blob' Pokémon. Part of the allure is in the mystery, along with thoughts drifting to whether it'll play a prominent role in the...
News London To Get Overrun By a Horde of Pikachu in 'Summer in the City' Event
Prepare yourself for the Pikachu invasion
The Pokémon Company International will be making a splash at this year's 'Summer in the City' at the ExCeL London on Saturday 15th August, by attending with a horde of five Pikachu who will wander around the event for you to grab a selfie - if you are so inclined. Summer in the City is an annual event that...
Video Hang Em Hyrule Brings Legend of Zelda to the Wild West
Feelin' lucky?
Fan videos inspired by The Legend of Zelda are relatively plentiful online, with some having professional-level production values. 'Hang Em Hyrule', from the popular beatdownboogie YouTube channel, certainly falls into the higher end of themed videos celebrating Nintendo's much-loved franchise. As the name implies, this combines the...
Thursday13th Aug 2015
News Dragon Quest XI 3DS Screens Show Off the Blend of Old and New
They sure are pretty
Dragon Quest XI is a good while off, so much so that a Nintendo NX version was sort-of announced before some inevitable backtracking once Square Enix realised it had somewhat gotten ahead of itself. We have seen the 3DS version in action, though, which looks like an accomplished portable alternative to the HD version that'll be...
Wednesday12th Aug 2015
News Here Are Some Handy Tips for Viewing Splatoon Online Rankings, Statistics and Map Schedules
Inking in plans
Splatoon is a weekly - even daily - treat for plenty of Wii U owners, and with its glut of items, weapons and maps there's plenty on offer. It turns out there's also a neat resource for viewing online rankings alongside others on your Friend List, statistics on weapon usage and gear, and even the next few cycles of available maps in...
News A Resident Evil 2 Remake Has Been Confirmed
Hoping beyond hope for a Wii U or NX version
It's with some hesitation that we're sharing the happy news that a Resident Evil 2 Remake has, after much demand, been confirmed. Our hesitation is simply due to the fact that some handsome recent remasters in the series have been skipping Wii U, but tomorrow is another day and timelines may bring hope...
News Super Mario Maker's eShop Pre-Load is Live in North America
Tough luck, Europe
Super Mario Maker may, for many, fall into the 'must get a physical copy' category. Even download aficionados must be contemplating one of the physical retail options, either with the amiibo or a standard edition that - nevertheless - comes with a lovely 'design ideas' booklet. It's an Anniversary, live a little. For those that...
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Leads as Splatoon Passes Half a Million Sales in Japan
Wii U sales increase, too
The latest Media Create Japanese charts have arrived, bringing with them more positive news of Summer sales for Nintendo. On the software side Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer stays on top with over 180,000 sales in its second week, pushing it beyond 700,000 retail sales already. The two iterations of Yo-Kai Watch...
News This SquidKid Splatoon Game Boy Mod Aims to Make a Splash
Pre-order details due this week
Nintendo wasn't shy of releasing a whole load of Game Boy designs and variations in the '90s, and in the modern day enthusiasts and modders are more than happy to keep the trend going. There are a lot of cool mods out there - if you can think of a cool design you'd like to see, the odds are reasonable that someone,...
Mario Memories Being Taken To A New World In Super Mario Galaxy
Tom Whitehead recalls a watershed moment in his relationship with Nintendo
In this series of 30 daily articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. First up is site editor Tom Whitehead. I've confessed in the...
Video Learn More About the Experimental Rayman 4 That Got Dropped in Favour of Raving Rabbids
It makes us slightly sad
While there's nothing wrong with mini-game collections - they can add a lot to any system library - there was an over-abundance of them in the Wii era. Major franchises were reimagined for the genre, with a particularly early example being Rayman Raving Rabbids, which brought Ubisoft's mascot onto the last-gen system and...
News Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Included in 'Hexathlon' to Find eSports UK Champion
Winner of gaming Hexathlon to be crowned at EGX
If you're a regular reader of the site, you'll probably know we really love EGX (formally Eurogamer Expo). This year's expo has moved from its old location at Earls Court, London, which has sadly been demolished to make way for residential apartments; this year from 24th-27th September EGX will be in...
Tuesday11th Aug 2015
News Awesome Mario Kart Trophies Are Now Up for Grabs on Club Nintendo in Europe and Australia
Star Power
Club Nintendo is all wrapped up in North America and it's heading towards its end date in PAL territories, too. Fans of the service in Europe and Australia can still grab some goodies with their remaining Stars, however, and some particularly awesome rewards have just been added. All of these Mario Kart trophies are up for grabs, and...
Hands On Here's What The 3DS Version Of Terraria Looks Like
On show at this year's Gamescom
Although the Wii U version was not forthcoming, the 3DS iteration of the popular 2D mining game Terraria - recently confirmed as coming to Nintendo platforms - was fully playable at this year's Gamecom. We've put quite a lot of time into the PC version and it took a little while to get used to the controls on the 3DS...
"That's our real secret sauce"
The Wii U may not have gained the same commercial success as the original Wii, but it terms of innovation it arguably does more than its next-gen rivals, thanks largely to the potential of its GamePad controller. That's certainly the opinion of Nintendo of America's Executive VP of Sales Scott Moffitt, who has been...
Pokémon being the notable exception
There may be a new Call of Duty, FIFA and Assassin's Creed on store shelves every single year, but Nintendo of America's Scott Moffitt stresses that Nintendo isn't looking to pull the same trick any time soon. Speaking to The Examiner, Moffitt addressed the issue of yearly updates, something which publishers...
Review Swords & Darkness (3DS eShop)
Alone in the darkness
Side-scrolling hack and slash games fall into a tricky genre. It's such a simple concept at its core, but it can easily be ruined by something as basic as poor controls or lack of originality. Swords & Darkness, the latest in the genre to make its way to the 3DS eShop, is an unfortunate example of what happens when little...
Editorial Paper Mario is 15 Years Old Today, and Provides a Reminder of Nintendo's Wonderful Whimsy
Silly and brilliant, what a combination
Paper Mario is 15 years old today, 11th August, in terms of its Japanese release in 2000. Intelligent Systems, a development company typically associated with Fire Emblem and Advance Wars, took a step back from serious strategising to produce what was, at the time, a bit of a revelation. Actually originally...
Review Ninja Usagimaru - The Gem of Blessings (3DS eShop)
Block Ninjutsu
If there's anything that movies, television and games have taught us, it's that ninja are deadly. Give them knives, blow darts, ninja stars and swords and they're virtually unstoppable. Ninja Usagimaru - The Gem of Blessings proves that they don't need any of those things to be vicious. Give a ninja a simple addition of a block to...
Video Say Hello To The SNES Game Which Ships Inside A Game Boy Cartridge
Invading a 16-bit home console near you
One of the really cool things about the Super Game Boy adapter - besides the fact that it allowed you to play your portable titles on SNES - was that it added embellishments to certain titles, like two-player modes, additional colours and even attractive borders around the screen. However, there's one title...
News Mewtwo Still Looks Just As Fearsome As A Packaged amiibo
No. 51 in the Super Smash Bros. Collection
It wasn’t long ago a prototype of the upcoming Mewtwo amiibo was spotted in the wild at the San Diego Comic-Con following the pocket monster’s DLC arrival in the latest Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS. Since then, nothing appears to have changed, with photos of the final model of the Mewtwo...
Video Capcom Launches Cute Monster Hunter Training Academy Series
"There is no furry without fury"
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate has been available in the West for about six months now, in the process becoming a success in Capcom's quest to boost the IP's sales outside of its guaranteed popularity in Japan. It's a fantastic entry in the series that's both familiar and fresh, with core mechanics and systems in place...
Thinks "hundreds of millions" of people will want to play
We can expect quite a lot of focus on Nintendo and DeNA in the coming months, as the big N will be making its long awaited - especially by shareholders - entry in the world of smart device gaming. DeNA's experience in the market and background in 'services' will combine with Nintendo's game...
We can expect a smartphone game in the next four months
The passing of Satoru Iwata in July was an significant blow to Nintendo and his many admirers around the world, though company business has so far continued to follow planned timelines - at present Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda are running Nintendo on an interim basis. A major announcement...
News NIS America Confirms Rodea the Sky Soldier Delay
You have to wait until mid-November
Rodea the Sky Soldier, a title with a troubled development and publishing cycle which failed to take off after release in Japan, is still nevertheless one to watch. A project originally led by Yuji Naka, we had fun with it when we went hands on earlier this summer. Unfortunately,
Wednesday12th Aug 2015
News Freedom Planet Runs into Delay
Need to liberate a critical bug from the game
Those who have been yearning for a full Wii U run on the oh so Sonic-tacular Freedom Planet in North America will have to wait until a recently discovered bug has been exterminated, according to director Stephen DiDuro, DiDuro, who goes by Strife, posted news of the game's delay via development team...
Tuesday11th Aug 2015
News CoroCoro Reveals Yo-Kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version For Wii U
A Level-5 & Ubisoft collaboration
After selling millions and becoming a cultural phenomenon in Japan, it has been revealed the popular Yo-Kai Watch series will receive a Just Dance spin-off. The latest issue of Japan’s CoroCoro Magazine explains Yo-Kai Watch Dance: Just Dance Special Version is on the way to the Wii U courtesy of a surprising...
Video There's Almost Too Much Disney In This Disney Magical World 2 Trailer
My life is now happy
Disney Magical World 2 - known in Japan as Disney Magical Castle: My Happy Life 2 in its native Japan - is getting a big promotional push in the Land of the Rising Sun at the moment, with publisher Bandai Namco trying to build up as much interest as possible leading up to its November launch window. A few days ago the game's...
News Award-Winning Logic Puzzler The Bridge Launches On The Wii U eShop This Month
"M. C. Escher meets Isaac Newton"
The Quantum Astrophysicists Guild's logic puzzler The Bridge is hitting consoles this month, and that includes the Wii U. Described by the developer as "M. C. Escher meets Isaac Newton", The Bridge launched on PC and Xbox 360 back in 2013. The aim is to reach the exit of each level, and to do this you will need to...
Weirdness The Man Behind Busking Mario Is Now Racing Trains As Mega Man
Off the rails
Emlyn Lewis is an award-winning Irish filmmaker who just happens to have a deep love of retro gaming - Nintendo specfically. He's famous for busking in the guise of Super Mario and playing notable tunes from the series on his keyboard, but recently he's branched out into another beloved NES franchise: Capcom's Mega Man. Mega Man vs...
News Try Not to Get Too Merry While Checking Into SteamWorld Heist's Bars
Hire crew, check missions, buy new gear
SteamWorld Heist is heading to the 3DS this 'Fall', with a release on Wii U and other platforms to follow, and Image & Form's latest is sure to be one of the eShop's big ticket releases in the remainder of this year. The developer is now back to normal in serving up weekly updates, too, this time focusing...
Monday10th Aug 2015
Exclusive Check Out Runbow's Complete Cast of Colourful Crossover Characters
Let the colours run
Runbow's crazy breed of colour-based running action has already enlisted the help of the likes of Shovel Knight, Scram Kitty, and CommanderVideo to help in the endless task of running from one place to another, and now that list of indie guests has just grown even larger. In this exclusive trailer 13AM Games' frantic 9-player...
News Splatoon Data Mining Brings More Weapons, a New Stage and Even 'Playable Octolings'
Would ruin the Kid / Squid song
As often now happens with a major update to a Nintendo title, pre-prepared future DLC gets data-mined and shared with the world. It's happened, notoriously, with Super Smash Bros.;as a result die-hard fans knew most of the title's pre-E3 reveals before they actually happened. This means, of course, that if you don't...
Nintendo Download 13th August (Europe)
Retro Mega Man, a load of discounts and a demo
Another week begins with a Nintendo Download Update, and this week focuses on discounts. We only have one fresh release on the Wii U Virtual Console while the 3DS receives a demo, putting the emphasis on price drops. Let's get to it. Wii U Virtual Console: Mega Man & Bass (Capcom, €6.99 /...
News CoroCoro Magazine Posts More Images Of Mysterious New Pokémon
Another monster for your pocket
We recently reported on a mysterious new blob-like Pokémon which was teased during the screening of Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages in Japan. Viewers caught a little glimpse of the new character, which is expected to make its début in the forthcomingPokémon The Movie XY. However, CoroCoro magazine...
"It was important for us to recommit"
When Nintendo shocked the gaming world by stating that it was dipping a toe into the smartphone gaming market it also chose to reveal it was working on its next gaming platform, dubbed Nintendo NX. Aside from that conformation there's been little official news regarding the system, leading many to question...
News Nintendo NX Could Get A Port Of MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Negotiations with Nintendo yet to happen
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida has revealed to DualShockers that a port of the game could come to the Nintendo NX, but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Square Enix has already caused considerable interest by announcing that Dragon Quest X and Drag
News Skylander SuperChargers Racing On Wii And 3DS Will Offer Bespoke Tracks And Progression
Racing experience "unlike" anything you'll see on current-gen systems
Activision may have unveiled a lot of the Wii U version of Skylanders SuperChargers at Gamescom 2015, featuring heavily the platform-wide addition of its Kart Racing mode, but we are still light on details relating to the Wii and 3DS versions of the game. Talking to Vicarious...
Feature The Unexpected Legacy of Wii Music
Life changing inspiration from the most unsuspected of places
In this guest feature, Nintendo Life regular and chiptune musician Shiryu explains how Wii Music played a pivotal role in encouraging his prolific output. As tradition mandates every year, I sat watching the Nintendo's 2008 E3 presentation with high hopes of a new F-Zero being finally...
News Core Console Market Bigger Than Ever, Despite The Impact Of The "Wii Bubble"
Bodes well for Nintendo NX
EEDAR VP of Insights Patrick Walker has pointed out that the core home console market is bigger than ever, citing impressive launch sale figures for the PS4 and Xbox One systems. The news flies in the face of claims that the rise of smartphones and tablets has put the console market in danger. However, sales data points...
News Mega Man And Mighty No. 9 Creator Keiji Inafune Admits He Doesn't Make Games That He Can Play
"My staff, though, are really good"
Keiji Inafune is responsible for some of the most joypad-crushingly difficult games of the 8-bit era, with the Mega Man series being considered the ultimate test of skill by many Nintendo players. However, Inafune has admitted to Kotaku UK that he is in fact a mere mortal and doesn't create games which he himself...
Video Here's What Nintendo Did At Gamescom 2015
Whole lotta Marios
Gamescom has closed its doors for another year, and with over 345,000 attendees having sampled all the lovely new titles on display. Nintendo was there in full force, showing off some of its new games as well as celebrating its past. To mark another bumper year at Gamescom, Nintendo has posted up some video content taken from the...
News Retro Studios is Still Busy, With Job Listings Providing a Timely Reminder
We can wait
Oh Retro Studios, how we miss you! Perhaps it's a sign of these impatient times - after all, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze only arrived in early 2014 - but it's felt like a particularly long silence from what's arguably Nintendo's most accomplished studio in the West. Prior to E3 this year a lot of talk was around what's next from...
Video This New Soul Axiom Trailer Sets the Scene
Was part of Nintendo's Nindies booth at Gamescom
Nintendo had a sizeable presence at Gamescom last week, and it was certainly pleasing to see a dedicated 'Nindies' section showing off upcoming Wii U and 3DS eShop releases. Soul Axiom from Wales Interactive was on the booth - some Wii U eShop aficionados will remember the studio's previous release...
Video Get Into The Rhythm With the Stella Glow Opening Movie
Ahead of a Holiday release in North America
Stella Glow, the upcoming RPG for 3DS, is ultimately a swansong for Imageepoch. While that's a slightly sad circumstance, it's another title - being published by Atlus in North America - to look forward to; it's due in the region this Holiday season. Atlus has now posted the localised opening movie from...
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria (3DS eShop)
No longer a fantasy
As some of you are likely aware, Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria has been made available on the 3DS eShop in addition to the Wii U eShop. If you'd like a more in-depth analysis of why we love this excellent JRPG, you can find all the details here. So, how does Dragon Fantasy play on the 3DS? Extremely well, easily...
Sunday9th Aug 2015
Poll We Want Your Views on Splatoon Version 2.0
Splatfests, Private Matches, being both a kid and squid
Splatoon changes every week, but the most recent update was one of the biggest yet. It threw in much demanded private matches and the opportunity to team up with friends, while also adding a big batch of new gear, some extra music and boosted level caps. When you add the latest Splatfest round...
Review Kung Fu FIGHT! (Wii U eShop)
Hop and Chop
The world has seen its fair share of endless runners in the last few years. The genre has grown in popularity and moved from phones to home consoles and dedicated gaming devices almost overnight. Run, jump, dodge, slide, attack - Kung Fu FIGHT! follows the formula of the many endless runners that came before it. One doesn't have to be...
News Not Only Does Japan Have Awesome Arcades, it Has Cool 30th Anniversary Mario Prizes
We'll happily buy these, given the chance
The arcade scene in the West isn't completely dead, but it's certainly less vibrant and varied than in Japan. It's not just that Japanese arcades have incredible machines, old and new, but some of the amusements also offer awesome prizes. As an example we have the following prizes that, if we're making...
Saturday8th Aug 2015
News Fire Emblem Fates Looks Set to be a Single Release in the West, According to Amazon
In Europe, at least
Fire Emblem Fates promises to bring the most content of any entry in the series, so much so that it has two distinct versions at retail and a third path available as DLC in Japan. It's ultimately a choice between light and dark paths, with many Japanese gamers making their decision in stores. Due in 2016 in the West, no details...
Nintendo Life Weekly Xenoblade Chronicles Arrives on Wii U eShop in Europe
Now it's Shulk time
Do you ever have one of those weeks where you seems to end up doing everything you don't want to do and end up missing out on all the latest Nintendo happenings? Well we at Nintendo Life have once again slavishly compiled all of the week's doings into one easy to handle video just for you. This week we take a look at a double...
News Nintendo Scoops Three Gamescom Awards
Mario and Legend of Zelda do the trick
Gamescom is now entering the chaotic weekend days, in which a dizzying number of gamers descend on Cologne. Though the event isn't over, a week of industry events has nevertheless culminated in the official Gamescom awards; Nintendo of Europe, which is out in force at the expo, has a few wins to celebrate...
News Nintendo Localises Saitaro Komatsu's "Link's Hijinks" Zelda Comic
Fit that in your timeline
Nintendo often does a decent job of localising some of the quirky and entertaining content out of Japan, and has done good work with a new web comic. Released on the Play Nintendo site, this is a translated version of Saitaro Komatsu's comic, which originally featured in CoroCoro magazine. In its way functioning as an...
Review Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians (Wii U eShop)
Boots ‘n cats ‘n boots ‘n bugs…
You are Beatbuddy: a cute little blue fella who is tasked with travelling through the six, beautifully hand drawn worlds of Symphonia to do… something. The basic idea is to save Symphonia from the evil Prince Maestro, ruler of this world, who is planning to steal the planet's music all for himself. You're...
Live Watch Twitch Play Xenoblade Chronicles X at Gamescom
Yep, we're feeling it
It's the big weekend at Gamescom, and though many of us can't join in with the Cologne festivities, the official Twitch channel is showcasing an hour of the localised Xenoblade Chronicles X playable build. Join us for the action! [liveblog=watch_twitch_play_xenoblade_chronicles_x_at_gamescom5]#Gamescom #XenobladeX
Video Nintendo Minute Shows Off The Best Facebook Super Mario Maker Hackathon Levels
Including the winner, 'Ship Love'
Not too long ago Nintendo headed to Facebook's headquarters for a Super Mario Maker Hackathon, in which employees of the company tackled the game to try and create their own levels. The winner, 'Ship Love', will be included with the final game when it's released on 11th September. Nintendo Minute's latest video...
Friday7th Aug 2015
News GameStop Confirms amiibo 3-Pack Pre-Order Event This Weekend
An early Saturday start
Earlier in the week we attempted to summarise the rumours around a GameStop-exclusive amiibo triple pack in North America, featuring R.O.B., Duck Hunt and Mr. Game & Watch. Nintendo went on to confirm the triple pack for a release on 25th September, and as expected GameStop has now confirmed i
Review Legend of Kay Anniversary (Wii U)
Legendary or just o-Kay?
Having never actually owned a Sony console besides a PSP that has rarely seen the light of day, this writer had never heard of Legend of Kay before this new HD re-release, so this review is coming with absolutely no expectations. Can it still hold the attention of a complete stranger a decade after its release? If you tried...
News Chris Pranger From Nintendo Treehouse Discusses Harsh Realities Of Localisation
The truth hurts
According to Chris Pranger from Nintendo Treehouse, Nintendo’s fan base fails to understand and accept the more serious business factors behind video game localisation. In an interview with Part Time Gamers podcast, the member of Nintendo of America’s Nintendo Treehouse made it clear the localisation game is a risky business,...
News Masahiro Sakurai Tackles Criticisms of Bonus Features in Games
"If it bothers you so much, then don’t use that feature"
Masahiro Sakurai shares regular articles in Famitsu magazine - on some occasions he discusses Smash Bros. features and updates or his personal plans, but occasionally he's happy to simply give his views on a topic that's clearly on his mind. This week he considers criticisms some level at...
"We are upset as well, just as much as the backers"
As we suggested in our article regarding Mighty No. 9's delay into early 2016, Comcept has endured a tough and damaging period for its image with fans. After the giddy highs of the game's successful Kickstarter campaign in 2013, multiple delays and some poor communication / decision making around...
Weirdness Sonic the Hedgehog is All About Self-Effacing Humour on Twitter
An account that opts to laugh, rather than cry
It's not easy being Sonic the Hedgehog - hot stuff in his youth, he's now on an iffy run of releases that earn shoulder shrugs or ridicule. Sure, there have been definite highlights in the past decade, but attention often turns to the horrible failures; it doesn't help that the mascot's most recent...
News Rayman’s Creator Is Designing One Of The 60 Levels In Super Mario Maker
As if we weren’t already excited enough
Following reports last month Super Mario Maker would include 100 pre-made courses, the official UK game site was updated earlier this week to read the upcoming Wii U title will feature "dozens of sample courses" to help inspire players to create their own levels. The latest news surfacing via Nintendo of...
News Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate's August DLC Ramps Up the Challenge
Total Eclipse of the heart
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate keeps delivering loads of neat - and free - DLC, and this month is no different. The latest available quests don't offer much particularly attractive gear, but there are some cool looking challenges. Check out the video rundown below. There are some promising events there, though we're...
Video Three Reasons Why You Should Be Pumped For Shovel Knight's Plague Of Shadows Expansion
Straight from the developer
Shovel Knight may no longer be a Nintendo console exclusive, but the game is still one of our personal favourites on the 3DS and Wii U eShops - and it's about to get even better thanks to some free DLC. Showcasing the Plague Knight, Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows will be delivered entirely free of charge. In case you...
News Nintendo Won't Rule Out Giving Yooka-Laylee Additional Support On The eShop
"Never say never"
Nintendo's relationship with indie developers has undergone a truly dramatic transformation since the days of WiiWare, and both the 3DS and Wii U eShops are brimming with amazing games as a result. Nintendo has done a lot to support and highlight indie games on its platforms, with the most recent example being the successful...
News Moco Moco Friends Aims to be the Cutest Pokémon-Type Game on 3DS
Heading to North America this Fall
Fans of RPGs in which you develop teams of critters to explore and then fight other teams of critters are quite well served on the 3DS, but Aksys Games is pitching its own release into this crowded market. Originally developed by Racjin Co., Ltd, Moco Moco Friends is heading to the 3DS in North America this Fall...
News 3DS Version Of Dragon Quest VIII To Feature Brand New Ending
As well as a new dungeon to tackle once you complete the game
Dragon Quest VIII hits the 3DS in Japan on August 27th, and to build on the already intense interest for the game in its homeland, Jump magazine has delivered some more details. The most striking addition is that the game will feature a brand-new ending. There isn't a lot more detail...
Review Flick Golf 3D (3DS eShop)
Flicked from smartphones to the 3DS
Flick Golf 3D is yet another touch-based mobile game to receive a port onto Nintendo's handheld, having previously been launched in its original incarnation around five years ago on iOS. The title is both accurate and misleading at the same time; there's plenty of flicking to be had, but not too much golf. Flick...
Weirdness Get on Down and Dance, Dance, Dance With Pikachu
Step aside, left shark
Pokémon is weird; sure, it makes sense in some ways, but it's also conceptually bonkers. That doesn't harm its popularity, of course, and as a series with a heavy focus on attracting more children to buy into the brand its marketing - especially in Japan - can be delightful in its quirkiness. We think these Pikachu videos...
Review Endless Golf (Wii U eShop)
Golf a while. Golf... FOREVER!
The title Endless Golf pretty much explains the entire game. If you've ever found that eighteen holes just wasn't enough for you, then the constant rolling green hills of Endless Golf will call to you, promising a game that will never, ever end. By generating a new hole every time you sink a ball, the game's 2D golfing...
Video These Yo-Kai Watch Busters Commercials Focus On The Ghostbusters Vibe
Bustin' makes me feel good
Yo-Kai Watch Busters is doing pretty brisk business in Japan, as is to be expected when you consider how massive the Yo-Kai Watch series is in its native homeland. The title launched last month and a series of fresh commercials have been aired to maintain sales momentum, and they really push the whole...
Thursday6th Aug 2015
Review Mercenaries Saga 2: Order Of The Silver Eagle (3DS eShop)
It’s just like Final Fantasy Tactics, but with a cheaper hairstylist
In a time where titles such as Project X Zone, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and the upcoming Fire Emblem Fates are renowned for spicing up the turn-based strategy genre, Mercenaries Saga 2: Order of the Silver Eagle opts for keeping the original recipe intact. The result is a game that...
Nintendo Download 6th August (North America)
Golden Sun goodness, classic Capcom, Picross, Kung Fu and much more
It's time for another Nintendo Download Update in North America, and this week serves up a fairly diverse range of options. We have two promising Indie efforts on Wii U, while a certain GBA Virtual Console release with 'Golden' in the title may go down well. The 3DS has a couple of...
News Splatoon's Massive New Update, to Version 2.0.0, is Now Live
Squad Battles! Private Battles! New Level Cap! Fashion! More!
It's finally arrived. One of the biggest updates - to version 2.0.0 - for Splatoon is now live, bringing with it a whole load of enhancements; it should automatically download when you next boot up the game. There are some balancing tweaks, of course, but it's the arrival of greater match...
Video Xenoblade Chronicles Marches Onto The Wii U eShop
It's Reyn Time... again!
This week Nintendo of Europe unleashed another one of its surprise eShop releases, and it's admittedly quite a puzzling one. Mere months after the New Nintendo 3DS exclusive port was released, Xenoblade Chronicles has made its way as a Wii digital release on the Wii U eShop in Europe. However, that's not to say there isn't...
The eShop can be key for smaller retail releases
In the glut of Gamescom announcements earlier this week, Nintendo of Europe confirmed interesting details for the launch of Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water, known as Fatal Frame: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden in North America; we'll opt for Fatal Frame as our preferred title. Given a
News 3DS Can Last For Another Two To Three Years In The West, Says NIS America Boss
Takuro Yamashita thinks Nintendo's current handheld still has time left
The next-gen console race is now in full swing, but NIS America president and CEO Takuro Yamashita thinks that the current pair of handheld systems - 3DS and Vita - have some time left before they need replacing. Speaking to MCV at Gamescom, Yamashita said he felt it was the...
Review Dragon Fantasy: The Volumes of Westeria (Wii U eShop)
A good, old fashioned JRPG
Take a look at just about any digital storefront and you'll see that many Indies are focusing on creating JRPGs that harken back to the classics of the 8-bit or 16-bit eras. While it's nice to see how a new generation of developers have been inspired by the games they played as kids, the problem is that many of these...
News Mario 64 Speedrunner Offers Cash Reward To Anyone Who Can Recreate Mysterious Glitch
$1,000 GET!
Super Mario 64 speedrunner Pannenkoek20012 is offering a cool $1,000 to anyone who can reproduce a glitch which has the potential to dramatically change future speedrunning attempts on the famous N64 platformer. The glitch - which was spotted in the game's Tick Tock Clock level and allows the player to skip part of the level - was...
Guide Get Competitive with 1v1 Online Matches in Splatoon
No items, Final Destination
Splatoon's big update to version 2.0.0 means that we can now play custom games online with friends, allowing us to dictate map, game mode, and even the number of players. This means that the much-sought after possibility of 1v1 matches online in Nintendo's ink-em-up is finally a reality, and they're a massive improvement...
Friday7th Aug 2015
News SNK Playmore's New Chinese Owners Aim To "Do A Marvel" With Its Famous Franchises
$63.5 million paid for 81.25 percent of the gaming veteran
SNK Playmore has been acquired by a group of Chinese investors, Gameindustry.biz is reporting. Ledo Millennium has paid $63.5 million for 81.25 percent of the company's shares, purchased from former SNK CEO Eikichi Kawasaki and his wife Natsuyo Kawasaki. Chinese companies Oriental...
Thursday6th Aug 2015
News Disney Infinity Sales Struggling To Maintain Momentum
Disney Interactive revenue falls by $58 million
Prior to more recent releases such as Nintendo’s amiibo line, and even the upcoming heavy hitter, LEGO Dimensions, the toys-to-life category has been dominated by Activision’s Skylanders and the Disney Infinity play sets. With market saturation in the toys-to-life category now at an all-time high,...
Witness the Mario Kart killer that never was
Given the amount of love and attention we've bestowed Xbox One title Rare Replay recently, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you'd logged onto our sister site Pure Xbox by mistake. Still, Rare will forever be a major part of Nintendo history, and there's a lot of bonus content in this collection which...
News Patched Version Of Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth Still Blighted By Bugs On New 3DS
Progress is being made on the Euro release, though
The Binding of Isaac certainly took its sweet time coming to a Nintendo platform, but now it's here, fans are finding that it's impacted by disappointing performance woes. At launch the 3DS version of the game was afflicted by bugs, but these were patched by an update shortly afterwards. However,...
News 3DS Free To Play Release Pokémon Rumble World Catches A Big Update
Lucky balloons and a new land to explore
3DS free-to-play release Pokémon Rumble World has just gotten a new update - version 1.1 - which should hopefully bring it back into your conciousness. Updating the game gives access to a new area - called Changing Land - where you're far more likely to encounter Pokémon you've not yet caught. Also added...
News The Mewtwo amiibo Will Arrive in Europe on 23rd October
Breathe...
Nintendo's been quite a tease with the Mewtwo amiibo - it was displayed at San Diego Comic-Con without much fanfare, and all has been silent on when it'll arrive. Thankfully the silence has ended, with details of a European release date for what's sure to be a particularly popular amiibo. It's still a little while away yet, but it's...
News Big Update For Cube Creator 3D Arrives This Week
Includes new environments, blocks and more
Cube Creator 3D from Big John Games is arguably one of the better Minecraft clones available on the 3DS eShop right now. If you’re located in North America you may have already experienced it. If not, perhaps now is a good time to consider downloading the title with the latest update arriving this week...
News Oddworld Inhabitants Is No Longer Working On Wii U Stranger's Wrath, But It's Not Canned
"It's not on our radar right now"
Oddworld Inhabitants may have confirmed that New 'n' Tasty is still coming to the Wii U this year, but it would appear that the studio's port of Stranger's Wrath has been put on ice. Responding to a story posted on GoNintendo, the firm pointed out that while the game isn't "cancelled", it is no longer being worked...
Coming to shopping centre near you
Nintendo UK has confirmed the dates and locations of its 2015 Summer Tour, where it will show off its latest games to hordes of shoppers up and down the country. The tour kicks off on 12th August and runs until 13th September. Forthcoming titles like Super Mario Makerand Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will rub...
News Retailer Listing Suggests That Telltale's Acclaimed Walking Dead Series Is Shuffling To Wii U
Out in October, apparently
UK retailer GAME has listed Telltale's The Walking Dead series for the Wii U. The "combo pack" features Season 1 and Season 2 and is priced at £29.99. The pre-order page has the release date set for 30th October. The episodic series started over three years ago, and since then has come to a wide range of platforms,...
Video Get Splatting with Splatoon's New Slosher and Heavy Splatling Weapons
I am heavy weapons squid
Splatoon's massive update to version 2.0 is live right now, and in this new plethora of content we're gifted with two brand new weapons in the form of the Heavy Splatling and the Slosher. The Slosher is a glorified bucket, but don't let its humble origins fool you, this beast can lob a huge amount of ink over a wide area...
News Wii U eShop Space-Themed Title Factotum Arrives In North America 20th August
Can you save the day?
You’re deep in space and something has collided with your space vessel. The main power is offline and you’re now trapped. Fortunately you have access to a walker control terminal. Although it’s a tad outdated, with the assistance of two little robots, some cleaver thinking and an unknown voice guiding you, you might be...
News Nintendo Showcases Art Academy: Home Studio's YouTube Upload Feature and Launches Contest
For all you North American artists
No doubt helped along by strong ties to Google, Nintendo has been making integrated YouTube uploads a key part of some Wii U games. The option is particularly neat in Art Academy: Home Studio - Art Academy: Atelier in Europe - as uploads consist of time-lapse animations of your masterpieces. We're big fans of Home...
Wednesday5th Aug 2015
Oh my...
Update 2: Nintendo of America has confirmed that there'll be a special edition for the game in the region, but isn't announcing details yet: Update: Nintendo of Europe has now tweet an image of the Wii U bundle and special editions coming to the region for Xenoblade Chronicles X. Original Article: Take a deep breath, Monolith...
News Nintendo Confirms Full Gamescom Line-Up
Including Shovel Knight's 'Plague of Shadows' DLC
Nintendo has been keen to ahead of Gamescom opening to the public with a range of announcements for Europe, covered in other articles, and has also outlined its plans for the show itself. If you are heading along to the world's biggest gaming expo this weekend in Cologne, Nintendo is keen to keep you...
News Nintendo Confirms September amiibo Release Details for North America
Triple-pack confirmed, Mii Fighters now due in triple pack in November
New waves of amiibo are still hot news for Nintendo gamers, and North American fans now have information on the next batch of figures heading to the region in September; in addition we have confirmation of a new triple pack, in addition to another that was recently leaked. The...
Try the horror for free in Europe
Update: The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes will arrive in North America on the same date as in Europe - 23rd October. Original Article: Nintendo has used its pre-Gamescom set of announcements to reveal a couple of key retail game release dates, and an intriguing approach for a much anticipated Wii U title in...
Gallery Take a Look at the Super Mario Happy Meal Toys Coming to the UK
Gotta collect them all
Earlier today we shared the confirmation that Super Mario Happy Meal toys are heading to the UK on 12th August, with stock arriving at outlets throughout the country. It'll result in plenty of people eating more burgers or, alternatively, walking into a fast food restaurant and asking to purchase small toys. Whatever the case,...
News Super Mario Happy Meal Toys Hit The UK On 12th August
Supersize me!
Move over Minions, it's Super Mario's time to take over McDonald's Happy Meals in the UK. From 12th August anyone who buys a Happy Meal will be treated to a Super Mario toy, starting with a Mario Visor and a Yoshi toy. A reader who wishes to remain anonymous shared these photos with us. This follows a similar promotion from March...
News Mega Man Legacy Collection Blasting Onto the 3DS in Early 2016
That's still technically 'Winter'
Mega Man Legacy Collection arrives soon on the PS4, Xbox One and PC, and Capcom has now given a little clarity to its 'Winter' release window for the 3DS version. It'll arrive on the portable in early 2016 - as a download and a physical retail title - so we can take this off our potential Holiday 2015 line-up...
Review DK: Jungle Climber (Wii U eShop / DS)
Aping the King of Swing
What do you get when you throw away an established series' playbook and try for something new? You get DK: Jungle Climber. Unlike previous entries in the venerable Donkey Kong franchise, DK: Jungle Climber takes a fresh look at the series by focusing on swinging and timing more than precise platforming. The problem? It gets...
Thursday6th Aug 2015
News Nintendo Wraps Up Another Patent Win in Defence of the DS and 3DS
Secure Axcess loses out this time
Nintendo doesn't have a 100% record of winning patent cases, but it does win the majority. It often comfortably sees off particularly frivolous claims on broad technology patents, too - notable defeats have generally come against companies with which Nintendo has previously worked or liaised, not businesses that...
Wednesday5th Aug 2015
News Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer Dominates Japanese Charts, Boosts 3DS Sales
Wii U sales increase, too
It's that time of the week, once again, for the Japanese Media Create sales charts. Pleasingly for Nintendo a spin-off for one of its most successful franchises has had a strong start, allaying fears that it would struggle to grab attention. That title is Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, which launched with various...
News Get a Taste of Upcoming eShop Goodness in This Awesome Sizzle Reel
Beatbuddy is out today, don't forget
We love a good sizzle reel here at Nintendo Life, and Nintendo of Europe has released a beauty to celebrate its presence at Gamescom. Focused on Wii U and 3DS eShop releases, it rattles through plenty of exciting games that are out now or on the way relatively soon. Many of these are familiar, though its nice to...
Review Canvaleon (Wii U eShop)
Karma karma karma karma karma Canvaleon
Take a peek at some recent Wii U releases and you may see a painterly pattern forming. That's right; what with Art Academy: Atelier and Splatoon splashing some colour onto Nintendo's home console this year, it's almost like an artistic renaissance is upon us - just with more squids. On the surface, Canvaleon...
Video Kids React to Pokémon Snap In Rather Interesting Ways
Where's that darn Z button?
It's oddly fascinating when young gamers get given a retro game to play, which helps to partly explain the huge success of the REACT channel. Yes, it covers people of all ages reacting to all manner of things, but when you hand a kid a retro controller the results can be - in their way - educational. The latest episode...
News Mighty No. 9 Delayed Until Early 2016
Bugs and online issues to blame
Mighty No. 9 has had an interesting history. Its Kickstarter campaign was a spectacular success, with the desire for a spiritual successor to Mega Man and the leading role of Keiji Inafune causing a huge buzz. As it stands now, however, it's had a visual redesign that's been criticised by some, and now its release has...
Video Nintendo Challenge Gives You a Super Smash Bros. Target
Beat 100,000 points in Smash Run
Nintendo's done some good content on its YouTube channels in the past couple of years, and as a result the Nintendo of America account - particularly - has seen a big boost in its subscriber numbers. That channel now appears to be kicking off a new series, simply called Nintendo Challenge. In this video Bill Trinen...
News It All Gets Crazy in This Devil's Third Launch Trailer
Better the devil you know
It may have attracted some criticism and controversy, but none of that matters if you're excited about Devil's Third rocking up to Wii U soon; it arrives in Europe on 28th August, promising a unique blend of FPS and melee action. As part of its Gamescom press output today, Nintendo has released a launch trailer for the...
Gallery Check Out Nintendo's Gamescom Booth
Lots of expo goodies
Earlier today Nintendo went all out with release dates and Gamescom details; the announced line-up of games is pretty substantial for the thousands of attendees likely to flood into the booth. Though the expo in Cologne opens to the public on 6th August, Andy Pearson of Funstock has been at the event today along with press and...
News LEGO Marvel's Avengers Will Assemble in January 2016
Pre-order at GameStop and get a Silver Centurion Iron Man LEGO mini figure
If you're a fan of LEGO games and The Avengers, then you are in for a treat as LEGO Marvel's Avengers is getting ready to assemble on the Wii U and 3DS on 29th January 2016 in Europe and on 26th January in North America; this is perhaps a little later than expected, though...
News Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty Wii U Screens Remind Us That It's Due This Year
It's happening
Update: Below are another four screens showing the work in progress build for Wii U, with release due in 2015. Original Article: Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is a critically acclaimed remaster - it's far more than a simple remake - that's gone down well on various systems. Its Wii U release has been elusive and long delayed,...
News Online Multiplayer and Kart Racing Gameplay Unveiled for Skylanders SuperChargers
Bowsers and Donkey Kong go up a gear
While we had expected Activision to unveil the Wii and 3DS version of Skylanders SuperChargers at Gamescom, when doors open today what we'll see is something much more substantial. Not only have we a new online multiplayer kart racing game in all versions of Skylanders SuperChargers, but also online for the main...
Review Tiny Galaxy (Wii U eShop)
A dizzying experience
Tiny Galaxy is an action platformer that takes the original concept of a platformer and turns it on its head. You play as a nondescript blue square, Orion, as you race through the "tiny galaxy", jumping from planet to planet to try and retrieve your stolen headphones. With a unique gameplay approach that blends the 2D...
News Just Dance 2016 Gets The Party Started With New Showtime Feature And Tracks
It's showtime!
Who says the Wii U does't get any third party games? Each year it's almost guaranteed to get the latest instalment of Ubisoft's dance series behemoth, and in October you'll be able to strut your funky stuff with Just Dance 2016. Today, at Gamescom, Ubisoft announced nine new tracks for Just Dance 2016 and revealed a new lip-syncing...
Thursday6th Aug 2015
News US Bot Battlers Can Get a Taste of LBX at Select GameStops
This Friday, Friday, Friday!
If you live in the United States and have been dreaming of glory in robotic battle ever since LBX: Little Battlers eXperience was announced for the West, then an area GameStop might have a little something to get your fix before the game's 21st August release in North America. Certain GameStop stores will be holding LBX...
Tuesday4th Aug 2015
News Rare Co-Founder Has No Idea Why Nintendo Didn't Buy The Studio Outright
"I thought we were a good fit"
Rare co-founder Tim Stamper recently won the accolade of Development Legend at this year's Develop awards - along with his brother, Chris - and has now given his first interview since 2007. Stamper - who has recently returned to the games industry with mobile studio FortuneFish - talks about the origins of Rare, its...
News IRONHAX to Use Free-to-Play IRONFALL Invasion to Run 3DS Homebrew and Region-Free Workaround
Sorry, Cubic Ninja scalpers
It's tricky to broach the subject of mods and hacks on Nintendo hardware, as they can prompt diverse and at times feisty debate. This is in part driven by the severe damage that R4 cards did to the DS, with piracy of retail games a major problem that was - unbelievably in hindsight - facilitated and supported by major...
Talking Point Nintendo's Game Updates and DLC Are Fantastic, Albeit Starved of Attention
Key Wii U titles have evolved a great deal
It's easy to be a little blasé and spoilt as gamers, but it's been striking once again that, with a combination of economic savvy and a clear love for its products, Nintendo is making the most of key releases on the Wii U. Three of the system's biggest games have transformed since launch with a mix of new...
Still no official word on R.O.B., Duck Hunt and Mr. Game & Watch pack
Over the past 24 hours there's been plenty of online chat around an apparent GameStop-exclusive amiibo triple pack that'll go up for pre-order - in stores - on 8th August. Despite the attention it's received on Reddit, particularly, the retailer and Nintendo of America have so far...
Inside information
Nintendo has traditionally been very reluctant to allow its employees to speak to freely with the gaming press, but that stance has apparently been relaxed in recent years according to Treehouse staffer Chris Pranger - and as if to prove his point, he's taken part in a lively podcast where he covers a whole host of...
Video Players React to Splatoon and Star Fox Zero at Hyper Japan in London
Kids talking about being a squid, now
Hyper Japan was nearly a month ago in London, a major expo that brings together various aspects of Japanese culture. Nintendo UK has been a big supporter of the event and had a booth on hand, also giving attendees what was - at the time - the first opportunity for the European public to go hands on with Star Fox...
Video How Tourney Mode in Super Smash Bros. Could Be Improved in Five Ways
Another bunch of fives
As much as we at Nintendo Life love nearly everything Nintendo produces, we'd be lying through our teeth if we said that there wasn't room for improvement. The Tourney mode in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a classic example of a really good system that suffers from just a few minor oversights, and so we've trawled through...
News Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold is Out Now in North America, and Sure Has a Lot of DLC
Most of it is free at launch, though
Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight is now out on the 3DS in North America, and Atlus is keen to give early adopters plenty of extras in the game. Full details of the launch DLC have emerged, with only one set costing any money at launch. The full press release outline is below, with some of the free...
News PolyKid's Poi Hits Kickstarter, $80,000 Needed To Bring It To Wii U
2016 release date mooted
Back in June we reported on Poi, a 3D platformer from PolyKid which is inspired by the likes of Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine. The title was slated for release on Wii U and PC, and the team confirmed that Kickstarter would be used to raise funds. The
Review Astral Breakers (Wii U eShop)
Puzzling Over the Stars
Ever since the stars aligned and humans discovered the fun of matching coloured objects, we've been trying to invent new ways to make puzzle games based on this simple premise. Puzzle Fighter and Bust-a-Move are just some of the diversions we've come up with. Astral Breakers joins the fray and brings with it a little bit of...
Weirdness Keep Your French Fries Toasty Hot With These Yo-Kai Watch Holsters
Only in Japan, of course
Yo-Kai Watch is massive in Japan, and that means there are plenty of opportunities for all kinds of cross-promotional activity. However, few ideas are as zany as these McDonald's French Fry holsters, which allow you to slot in your pack of chopped potatoes and keep them warm during your quests to locate naughty spirits...
Video These Monster Hunter X Trailers Are for Lance Fans
Or treat yourself to the Gun Lance
Capcom's currently in the process of teasing its YouTube followers with flashy weapon trailers for Monster Hunter X (Cross), which is coming to the 3DS in Japan in late November. The footage is welcome, though, as it showcases a few monster variations and demonstrates how the co
Monday3rd Aug 2015
News Scathing Nikkei Report Hints At Shameful Treatment Of Staff By Dictatorial Konami Management
"Useless" employees used as cleaners and security guards
All is not well in the world of Konami. Recent rumours have suggested that the Japanese veteran could be planning a move out of the home gaming business, and the company's recent treatment of Hideo Kojima - surely its most famous staffer - has raised eyebrows throughout the industry. However,...
Soapbox It's A Tragedy That Rare Replay Isn't On A Nintendo Console
Rare's latest has filled Damien McFerran with delight, but there's a catch
Rare is one of the UK's most respected and adored software houses, with a lineage that goes back more than 30 years. While the company is now wholly owned by Microsoft, for a large part of its lifespan it was closely affiliated with Nintendo - initially as a third party...
News Here's Exactly What's Changing In This Week's Massive Splatoon's Update
610MB of goodness
Splatoon is getting a major update this Wednesday (Thursday if you're in Europe) which brings with it squad battles, private battles, a level cap rise and more gear and weapons to use. However, beyond these big changes there are many minor alterations that will have a sizeable impact on how the game plays. These have kindly been...
News Nintendo Is Licensing Hudson Soft IP From Konami
New Momotaro Dentetsu title in development
Earlier this morning, we posted some rather worrying news regarding the current situation at Konami, including claims that staff are being used as cleaners and security guards. If there's one positive to come out of the whole situation it's that Konami is so disinterested in harnessing its catalogue of IP...
Nintendo Download 6th August (Europe)
Beatbuddy, Star Fox, DK,Dragon Ball Z demo and more
Another week has begun, bringing with it the European Nintendo Download Update. This time around we have a long-anticipated Indie effort on the Wii U, alongside a lesser known title and two DS releases; the 3DS offers a demo, DLC and plenty of discounts. Let's get to the details. Wii U eShop:...
Movie Review Pixels Proves Once Again That Video Games And Film Do Not Make Good Bedfellows
Game Over, man
Fun Fact: Pixels was a short, two minute film released in 2010 that briefly depicted a world overrun by an array of characters from old school arcade games. Not So Fun Fact: This short film would go on to be adapted into a feature length film of the same name five years later, starring none other than Adam Sandler. If that doesn't...
Review I am an Air Traffic Controller Airport Hero Narita (3DS eShop)
Not clear for takeoff
Usually the world of video games takes players to far off fictional lands filled with magic and wonder. I am an Air Traffic Controller Airport Hero Narita (yes, that's its actual name) does not take place in such a location. If one couldn't tell from it's exceedingly long and descriptive title (which is going to be referred to...
Review Mario Tennis (Wii U eShop / N64)
Love All
Some people would say Mario Tennis is worthy of praise solely for the fact it introduces the glorious specimen known as Waluigi into the Nintendo World. These people are right, but you can't write a full review out of that. In all seriousness, Mario Tennis marks a highlight in Nintendo's adaptation of the sport into a fun, casual style...
News Masahiro Sakurai Celebrates His 45th Birthday
And doesn't look a day over 25
We want to know more about Masahiro Sakurai's diet and grooming habits, as he continues to defy the passing of time - the rigours of developing Super Smash Bros. have been tough on the game designer, yet he retains an admirably youthful look. Masahiro Sakurai turned 45 on 3rd August - at the time of publication it's...
Tuesday4th Aug 2015
News This Controller Wants to Bring the 'Next Gen' to NES
Works on the 8-bit system or PC
Plenty of companies tackle the surprisingly complex challenge of producing a high quality game controller, and not all pull it off successfully. We somewhat admire the effort from Retro Fighters, then, which is aiming to crowdfund a 'next gen' NES pad. The main pitch for this pad is that it has both usb and a NES...
Monday3rd Aug 2015
News Capcom Continues to Go Big With a Monster Hunter X Limited Edition and New Trailers
For those always on the hunt
Monster Hunter X (Cross) is being given a big push by Capcom ahead of its late November release in Japan, a fresh entry that brings a slight switch in dynamic to the core play. Considering the huge success of previous 3DS releases in the franchise the projections for millions of sales don't seem excessive. A pricey...
News Splatoon And Nintendo Dominated Japanese Retail During June
Over 50 percent of the top 30 were 3DS titles
Japanese gaming publication Famitsu has published sales figures for the month of June, and Nintendo's online shooter Splatoon has come out on top. The Wii U release sold 368,538 copies between May 25th and June 21st - almost 20,000 of which were digital - making it one of the most impressive débuts for...
Review Dare Up Adrenaline (Wii U eShop)
Don't you dare...
Dare Up Adrenaline is a game that doesn't have much going for it. The idea of a Pilotwings-style experience with high-flying stunts and tricks is certainly an appealing concept, but this title fails to deliver on every front. The main gameplay hook of Dare Up is controlling a wingsuit-wearing daredevil through the skies. The idea...
News Typoman Set to Spell Out a Release on 16th September
That's the target for all regions
Typoman was one of nine titles to feature in the E3 Nindies@Home promotion, a smart twist on puzzle platforming with wordplay and a Limbo vibe to the visual design. Based on that demo alone it's certainly full of promise. The good news is that it's not too far away from its arrival on the Wii U eShop. It's now been...
Video Learn More About Guitar Hero Live's Festivals and Rocking Out Online
Become a plastic guitar Rock God
The Wii U can't boast of many major third-party releases on the way this year, but one notable arrival will be Guitar Hero Live. As proof that all popular fads roll back around eventually, this will be battling it out with Rock Band 4, though Nintendo gamers won't have the option of picking up the latter. With a new...
Sunday2nd Aug 2015
News Take a Look at the New 'Green Blob' Pokémon
Plenty of Pokémon Shuffle information, too
Earlier in the summer talk emerged of a new Pokémon that was revealed as part of a teaser during the new 'mon movie that's out now in Japan. We only had some sketches to go on, but 'green blob' seemed to sum up its form nicely. Serebii has dug up an image this weekend, though, which gives us a look at...
Monday3rd Aug 2015
News Nintendo's Corporate Social Responsibility Report Outlines Company Goals, With amiibo a Focus
Also includes a final President's Message from Satoru Iwata
Nintendo has released its Corporate Social Responsibility report for the year, a comprehensive document that covers broad principles in addition to details on company policies in areas such as manufacturing, environmental concerns and a number of lighter topics. There's a 'digest' version...
Sunday2nd Aug 2015
Video Did You Know Gaming? Tackles The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
The history of a classic
We rather like the Did You Know Gaming channel here on Nintendo Life, as it neatly summarises familiar and sometimes fresh trivia on iconic games. Nintendo titles get plenty of coverage, and next up is The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Drawing on sources recent and otherwise, including an Iwata Asks for The Legend of...
Rumour Rodea the Sky Soldier Release Pushed Back to November
Amazon orders delayed
Rodea the Sky Soldier has had a troubled history, delayed frequently before its eventual release - and commercial flop - in Japan. It seems that troubles have followed its localisation, too, if the status of Amazon orders are to be believed. We're been sent a copy of a pre-order notification for Amazon in the US - thanks Zach...
News Summer Games Done Quick Raises an Incredible $1.2 Million+, Check Out the Super Metroid Race
Hats off, once again
The Games Done Quick events - of which there are two every year - are the pinnacle of the goodwill and fundraising possible within gaming. Many notable and wonderful organisations raise money for charity, and this is among the most successful. Summer Games Done Quick has finished for another year and has raised an incredible...
Saturday1st Aug 2015
News Eager Fans Have Broken Down Fighter Changes in Super Smash Bros. Version 1.1.0
Plenty of adjustments
While Super Smash Bros. updates often bring new content, they also tweak key attributes and moves for its many characters. Masahiro Sakurai and his team are perfectionists, after all, and no doubt continually monitor how characters are used and seek to improve their balancing. A notable previous example was the 'nerfing' of...
Poll What Do You Think of the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Tourney Mode?
Playing by Nintendo's rules
This week brought some exciting news for Super Smash Bros. fans, with both current-gen versions getting updated to version 1.1.0. That meant paid DLC in both versions, but on Wii U also delivered YouTube replay uploads and online Tourneys. We know how the Tourneys work and have been
Weirdness The Next Splatoon European Splatfest Wants You to Choose Between Vast, Icy Landscapes
That's cold, Nintendo...
Just recently Nintendo of America confirmed details around the next Splatfest in the region, with the choice being between roasting hot-dogs or marshmallows over a campfire. Obviously marshmallows is the answer, but in any case Nintendo of Europe has announced its own Splatfest for next weekend and it's... interesting...
Nintendo Life Weekly Nintendo Subscription Box, Smash Bros. & Splatoon Updates
Updates all round
Finding yourself bogged down by too much content to fully process in a week? Well have we got a solution for you! In the video below you'll find all the biggest Nintendo news as well as all the releases and reviews for the previous week. This week we look at Nintendo's Loot-Crate style subscription service that is supposedly...
Interview 13AM Games on Getting Up to Speed With Runbow
"When we go to parties it's always the Wii U out entertaining everyone"
You can always judge how much Nintendo's eShop teams enjoy an upcoming release by the amount of support it receives at the big N's expo booths, social media channels and more. On those criteria Nintendo's staff clearly adore Runbow, as the colourful nine-player Wii U eShop title...
